From Weddings to Wildlife Pictures: Reaching out with Raptor Ambassadors Throughout the West – HawkWatch International

Raptor Ambassadors have been part of HawkWatch International’s historical past since our earliest days. These non-releaseable birds of prey function ambassadors for his or her species, connecting over half 1,000,000 learners with raptors, nature, and conservation in a significant approach: up shut and private.

From personal pictures periods to company teambuilding occasions and in every single place in between, we’ve taken these non-releaseable birds of prey to simply about each kind of occasion you possibly can think about. While most individuals assume our Raptor Ambassador applications are geared in the direction of kids and households, we provide a lot for grownup learners too! We can create a customized lecture on your group, interact your interior scientist with owl pellet dissections, and even lead a customized birding discipline journey.

To rejoice our fortieth anniversary and kick off our new fiscal yr that begins July 1st, we’re updating our customized applications web page with extra details about these choices. Until then, we wish to spotlight just some of our favourite sorts of occasions we’ve been invited to take part in over the previous few years.

While we don’t think about that many individuals are looking for a bunch of biologists or birds for marriage ceremony leisure, our Raptor Ambassadors could make your marriage ceremony unforgettable! Imagine how a lot friends will love including pictures of themselves with the birds to the marriage album.

It’s been an actual deal with attending to deliver our birds to the weddings of a few of our supporters through the years. Most just lately, we had been thrilled to take action to rejoice the wedding of our personal Conservation Biologist, Dr. Jordan Herman, pictured right here with Educator Call Vande Veegaete and Banshee the Barn Owl. We traveled throughout state strains for this occasion, and might even deliver birds to a number of occasions over the course of a marriage weekend.

We’ve discovered that internet hosting a handful of Raptor Ambassadors throughout completely satisfied hour is a good way to maintain your friends engaged whilst you’re taking household pictures. Plus, you possibly can have the birds be a part of you for a couple of pictures, too! 

Sometimes you’re on the lookout for greater than just some pictures, although. We’ve been fortunate through the years to work with plenty of gifted photographers who’ve featured our birds in exhibitions from Paris to Park City. 

And whereas our Raptor Ambassadors are wild birds, they’re additionally—maybe surprisingly—pure fashions, a lot in order that native photographer Alexandra Fuller has now featured the birds in two separate exhibitions.

Raptors might be exceptionally tough to {photograph} within the wild, particularly should you’re trying to seize up shut photos like these. Working with Raptor Ambassadors is a good way to attain an analogous end in a approach that’s moral and respectful of wildlife. 

That moral, conservation-centered method is one thing you’ll discover anytime you see our Raptor Ambassadors at a program—even at a birthday celebration.  So whereas we do provide owlsome alternatives to have a feathered visitor in your big day, we additionally make certain these applications align with our mission to preserve raptors and our shared setting. 

One of our hottest choices for learners with an curiosity in science is a program we name All About Owls. During this system, learners get to dive deep into an owl pellet dissection and meet one in every of our owl Raptor Ambassadors. In addition to being an incredible choice for a birthday celebration, it is a nice match for scouting teams, youth birding golf equipment, and Halloween celebrations as we mix studying with enjoyable at an age-appropriate stage for any viewers. 

Although it’s laborious to beat the look on a toddler’s face after they see a hawk up shut for the primary time, we now have applications for learners of all ages. Earlier this yr, Haliae the Bald Eagle helped rejoice America’s 250th Birthday on the Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce’s annual gala. We’ve additionally labored with plenty of companies, together with Adobe, to host nest-box-building occasions. These sorts of occasions are nice for crew constructing worker appreciation, or deliver the household to work days.

These are just some of the enjoyable and completely different applications we’ve collaborated with purchasers to create over the previous couple of years. We’ve additionally partnered with universities and nonprofits to supply customized lectures and native companies to host raptor trivia nights. Most just lately, we’ve teamed up with the Utah TALONS, our native skilled softball crew, to signify their Peregrine Falcon mascot in any respect dwelling video games. It’s been a hoot (or a honk?) watching Goose join followers with the quickest animal on the planet. 

For the final 40 years, we’ve prided ourselves on assembly learners the place they’re, each bodily, by bringing birds to them, and educationally, by designing applications that finest meet the wants of the viewers we’re serving.

While we hope this helps clarify a number of the methods we are able to work collectively, we love creating customized applications, too. Whether you’re organizing a convention, planning a 4th of July pageant, or dreaming of one thing totally completely different, our talon-ted crew is right here to assist your occasion soar to new heights. Click right here to contact them to debate your subsequent program:

This weblog was written by Kirsten Elliott, HWI’s Development & Communications Director. You can be taught extra about Kirsten right here.