The Raptor Trust Story - Trailside

The Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders and the Department of Parks and Community Renewal are pleased to announce that “The Raptor Trust Story” will be presented at Trailside Nature & Science Center in Mountainside on Thursday evening, March 22. 2012.  This program for adults, 18 and older, will run from 7:15 pm – 8:15 pm.  The admission fee is $8 per person for Union County residents and $10 for out-of-county participants. Pre-registration is preferred, but walk-ins will be accommodated as space permits.

The Raptor Trust, located in Millington on the edge of the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge, is one of the premier wild bird rehabilitation centers in the United States.  The facility includes a hospital with state-of-the-art medical equipment, an education center, and outdoor aviaries that can house several hundred birds.  The Trust’s staff and volunteers care for more than 3,600 injured and orphaned birds each year, with the primary goal of releasing as many as possible back into the wild.

“The Raptor Trust Story gives adults a fascinating glimpse into the world of hawks and other birds of prey while providing insight into the tremendous amount of time and effort the dedicated staff and volunteers put into their work at this unique facility,” said Freeholder Chairman Alexander Mirabella.  “It also is exciting that the audience will be introduced to one of the Trust’s ‘avian ambassadors’ – a hawk or an owl.”

Lauren Butcher, the Trust’s Education Director since 2005, will provide a behind-the-scenes look at what the Trust does to care for the thousands of injured and orphaned birds that are brought to the facility each year.  Ms. Butcher began volunteering at the Raptor Trust in 1999.  She has a Master’s Degree from Rutgers University, where she studied the history of amateur ornithology in the United States.

The presentation will focus on the raptors, for which the center is named, but it also will include a discussion on common injuries, medical procedures and the seasonal care of baby birds.  The program will touch on a wide variety of bird species that come through the Trust’s doors and Ms. Butcher will share some of their fascinating stories.

To register for “The Raptor Trust Story” or for information on other upcoming programs and events at Trailside, call 908-789-3670 or visit www.ucnj.org/trailside.  Trailside Nature & Science Center is located at 452 New Providence Road in Mountainside and is a service of the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.  All are welcome.