Another amazing summer has come and gone and I think it’s safe to say it was a success. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, we presented 284 programs and reached around 18,500 people! That’s pretty darn impressive, if I do say so myself. It also explains why this is the first post I’ve been able to do in months! Of course it never could have happened without the amazing, dedicated team of Mobile Perches here at the Center. I’d also like to thank the volunteers, interns, staff, and guests of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West for supporting our program and spreading the word to others that they really need to see our program.
The changing of the seasons means a shift down to a more relaxed pace for us and the birds. It also means it’s outreach program season!!! One of the fun parts about our program is that every day it’s a little different—especially when we travel.
Almost every program we do is in a new school, library, church, or museum. If we have been there before it’s even more exciting that they want us back! It is the opportunity to share our passion for raptors, and hopefully pass that passion on to others, that makes our jobs so amazing.

And… we have some great, FREE, public programs coming up on the other side of the Big Horn Mountains in the coming weeks:
Saturday, October 18, 2014 – Campbell County Rockpile Museum, Gillette, Wyoming: Join us from 1 – 3 p.m. for a program and question-and-answer session at the museum. This will be a special journey for Kateri, our golden eagle, as Gillette is her “home town” and this is her first appearance there as an avian ambassador. Kateri suffered permanent damage to her right wing when she was struck by a semi-truck along I-90 outside of Gillette. She was treated at the Northeast Wyoming (NEW) Bird Rescue center before being permanently placed in our program. We are very excited to bring her home along with Salem the American kestrel, Suli the turkey vulture, Teasdale the great horned owl, and Isham the red-tailed hawk. As mentioned, the program is free to all and no reservations are needed. For more info contact the Campbell County Rockpile Museum at 307-682-5723.
Friday, October 24, 2014 – Cloud Peak Elementary School, Buffalo, Wyoming: The Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum in Buffalo is graciously sponsoring programs for students at Cloud Peak Elementary during the day as well as a free program for the general public in the evening. The public program will take place in the gymnasium of Cloud Peak Elementary at 5:30 p.m. and will discuss the natural history of four birds of prey and the important role they play in nature. Learn about hawks, owls, falcons, and eagles with live examples right in front of you! For more information on this program contact Jennifer Romanoski at 307-684-9331.
We hope that some of our followers in the eastern part of Wyoming will be able to make the journey to meet our birds at one of these programs. If you can’t make it, however, you can always contact Melissa at 307-578-4111 and find out how to bring the birds of the Draper Museum Raptor Experience to your neck of the woods!