To the editor:
The Indiana Raptor Center is in the process of finishing construction on two new mini-barns for bird housing, paid for by grants from two generous organizations.
Our new barn owl barn, which will house an American barn owl, plus have displays of various types of raptor boxes for the public to see and learn about, was paid for with a grant from the Amos Butler Audubon chapter of Indianapolis.
The second barn will be designated as a falcon house, also for permanent residents, so that our more flexible housing can be used for wild patients. This second barn and site preparation cost were paid for with a grant from the Brown County Community Foundation, a grant from the Frank and Brenda Zody Fund, through the BCCF, and InRC board member donations. Both barns will be modified with special windows, perches and caging to accommodate the species that will be living in them.
We are always grateful for support from these sources, as we continue to receive and rehabilitate birds of prey, the apex predators in our south-central Indiana environment that provide rodent control which benefits local agribusiness — from large grain farms to the family farms that provide fresh produce to local groceries, restaurants and farmer’s markets.
In addition, we would like to thank the organizers of the Howard Hughes Memorial Mushroom Sale for the work they do to collect and distribute funding to the nonprofit organizations in Brown County, including ours.
And we also send a big thank you to the Brown County Democrat for their increased coverage of our summer Saturday presentations at the Brown County Nature Center.
In addition, we were blessed to have a greatly successful fundraiser on Sept. 17, the 7th annual Raptor Rendezvous. An amazing and supportive crowd helped us celebrate the end of the summer and beginning of fall, eat good food, meet a variety of raptor education ambassadors (and one groundhog!), and fill our bank account with the donations and silent auction results that will help us get through the coming fall and winter.
We are fortunate indeed to have a support base of dedicated volunteers, local artists and merchants, some Bloomington merchants, an amazing vet clinic (Hillview in Franklin), our “sister” rehab organizations in Bloomington, Columbus, and Decatur, Illinois, Brown County State Park and the Abe Martin Lodge, cooperation with the local DNR, the BCSWCD, the BCCF, the Nature Conservancy, local sheriff and police departments, Animal Control in Brown, Monroe, Shelby and Lawrence counties, and many individual financial supporters from Brown County, other south and central Indiana counties, Indianapolis, and even from out of state.
We have much to be thankful for in the continued support of this extended community for the protection of Indiana raptors and their habitats.
Anyone finding an orphaned or injured bird of prey, please call us at 812-988-8990. If you have songbirds, mammals or reptiles requiring help you can call the DNR Dispatch office (812-837-9536), check out the rehabilitator list on the I-DNR website, or we can help you find the correct rehabilitator for your wildlife situation.
Best regards to all,
Patti Reynolds, president and executive director, Indiana Raptor Center Inc., Nashville
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