Rocky Mountain Raptor Center Hosts Christmas Open House Dec. 14

The public is invited to attend the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program’s Christmas open house Dec. 14.

The event runs from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the raptor program’s headquarters north of Colorado State University’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 300 W. Drake Road, Fort Collins. Refreshments will be served.

Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the facility and meet nonreleasable, or permanently injured, birds of prey that live at the raptor center. Birds on display will include a bald eagle, golden eagle, peregrine falcon, northern goshawk, merlin, a great-horned owl and many others.

"This event has become a holiday tradition for us and a great opportunity for nature lovers to see what the Rocky Mountain Raptor Program is all about," said Judy Scherpelz, program director.

Visitors also may talk to volunteers to learn more about the center’s volunteer program, environmental education presentations and the center’s public outreach exhibits. Many gift items will be available for sale at the Raptor Gift Shop, with proceeds from sales going to support the program.

The Rocky Mountain Raptor Program is a self-sufficient volunteer effort that provides medical care and rehabilitation to injured birds of prey and environmental education programs to the public. This year, about 150 volunteers helped treat 160 injured birds of prey. Sixty percent of those birds were returned to the wild. Through its educational efforts, the raptor program in 1997 reached nearly 10,000 students in 55 Colorado schools.

For more information about the program or the open house, call (970) 491-0398.