Programs planned at Hawk Mountain
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has launched this year’s fall weekend programs. Several educational programs will be held each Saturday and Sunday through Nov. 13. The programs will also be offered on Labor Day and Columbus Day. Admission is free for members or with trail fee. Hawk Mountain volunteers, educators, and trainees maintain a schedule of four programs each Saturday and Sunday. The available programs will cover a variety of raptor observation basics and offer guests a unique and beneficial education opportunity while visiting the Sanctuary. Visitors will also have the chance to meet the new class of international trainees and learn from them the tools and techniques used at Hawk Mountain. The autumn schedule includes: 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. Hawk Mountain’s signature live raptor program, Raptors Up Close! offers the chance to see live hawks and owls, and to learn what puts these winged predators at the top of nature’s food chain. This program guarantees that you will see a live raptor during your visit to the Sanctuary and is appropriate for all ages. It is held indoors in the event of inclement weather. Presented in the Outdoor Amphitheater. 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Meet international trainees and learn from them the tools and technologies used to study long-distance migrants. This program is informative and entertaining, with lots of hands-on samples for you to look at and touch, and includes in- formation on satellite and radio telemetry, wing-tagging, and the importance of counting migrating hawks. Rain cancels. Presented near the South Lookout. 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Binoculars are an amazing tool for wildlife watching and study. This program offers the perfect platform for beginners of all ages to learn about the basic functions while holding a pair of optics in their hands and using them in an authentic outdoor setting. Rain cancels. Presented near the South Lookout. 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Learn to ID Hawk Mountain’s common raptors with a little help from a Hawk Mountain trainee and their helpful guides that show you the key field marks to watch for in the sky. The program also covers the basic size differences, shapes and behaviors that help you key in on the correct species, as well as how to watch for the silhouette of a bird that is soaring overhead. Rain cancels, trail fee applies. Presented at Laurelwood Niche.
Interested participants can visit hawkmountain. org/weekendprograms or call 610-756-6961 for more information.
The 2,500-acre Hawk Mountain Sanctuary is the world’s first refuge for birds of prey and is open to the public year-round by trailfee or membership, which in turn supports the nonprofit organization’s raptor conservation mission and local- to- global research, training, and education programs. To learn more about Hawk Mountain or other programs, call 610-756-6961 or visit www. hawkmountain.org.