Nature's Archive #55: Denise Lewis - Raptors of the Raptor Woodland Refuge
My guest today is Denise Lewis, Director of Programs and resident raptor expert at Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, Nebraska. Today Denise gives me a tour of the Raptor Woodland Refuge, which is an incredible public facility at the forest. Just envision this - a densely wooded hillside with an elevated boardwalk. But every 10 or 20 meters, there is a structure, almost like a cabin, each housing incredible owls, hawks, vultures, and eagles!
Denise and I discuss each of the species of birds at the refuge, including Swainson's Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, Gyrfalcon, Peregrine Falcon, Eastern Screech Owl, and more. You'll learn a bit about the natural history of each of these species, and get some behind-the-scenes insights into how they are cared for.
All of these incredible raptors have been deemed un-releasable due to the injuries they sustained. But the wonderful people at Fontenelle Forest have given these birds a second chance through this wonderful education space.
This is the second episode I recorded "in the field" at Fontenelle Forest . So as we walk through the raptor refuge you'll hear some wonderful vocalizations of these birds. You may also hear some vocalizations of some of the visitors, especially early in the episode.
I hope you enjoy this tour as much as I did! I'm posting some photos and videos in the show notes at podcast.naturesarchive.com, as well as in my stories on my instagram, so please check them out!
And be sure to follow Fontenelle Forest on twitter, instagram, and facebook.
And if you missed it, check out episode 53, where Michelle Foss and I walk the forest and discuss the habitats, management and stewardship practices, and some of the species and ecologies on the western extent of this eastern deciduous habitat.
So without further delay, Denise Lewis and the incredible educational raptors of the Raptor Woodland Refuge.
FULL SHOW NOTES
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LINKS
Cornell's All About Birds - comprehensive and free resource covering all of the birds of North America
Diane Guinn - Educator at the Woodland Raptor Refuge who made an appearance in the podcast.
Fontenelle Forest
My Podcast Episode with Michelle Foss - all about Fontenelle Forest's habitats and land management
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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com
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Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!