
Trusses for the mews
While I was working diligently on getting the birds for the Greater Yellowstone Raptor Experience program lined up, work continued on the mews. We had spent a bit of time sitting and waiting because the trusses (the beams for the roof) hadn’t arrived yet. The crew worked on putting together whatever they could in the meantime and when the trusses finally arrived they went up so fast it blew me away!
On the plus side, the construction process gives my summer interns something to do. They are Wildlife Biology/Zoology students at the University of Wyoming and are here for an internship in raptor education. Because of the slow process of building the program, they have gotten more of an education in the building of a raptor education program, however. Fortunately, my boss is conducting research on golden eagles in the area and they get to spend a bit of time helping with the research. I’m hoping they consider their internship worthwhile—I’d feel like a failure if they didn’t.
Written By
Melissa Hill
While earning her Bachelor's Degree in Wildlife Management at the University of Wyoming, Melissa began volunteering at Laramie Raptor Refuge and was instantly hooked on birds of prey. Since those early days, she has worked with nearly 70 different raptors at four different raptor education groups in three states. She is a former member of the Education Committee for the International Association of Avian Trainers and Educators (IAATE) and a National Association for Interpretation's Certified Interpretive Guide. When she's not "playing with the birds" she enjoys spending time quilting, crocheting, and exploring the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with her non-bird family.