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The Raptor Center’s 50th Anniversary: 2024

Lori Arent

Assistant Director

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The Raptor Center

  • Established in 1974 as part of the CVM

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  • In 1989, we moved into our own building on the St. Paul campus

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Funding Model:

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~62% philanthropic dollars

~38% grants/earned income

Outreach programs

Tuition dollars

Workshops/training

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Clinic is supported 100% by philanthropy

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Mission

To Ensure the Health of Raptors and the World We Share Through:

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  • Teaching: University-level (undergraduate courses, vet courses)
  • Research: Clinic and Field
  • Service: Rehabilitation, Training, and Public Outreach

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Service: Rehabilitation

  • Reached our 30,000th patient in 2022; currently admit over 1000 ill, injured, and displaced young raptors admitted annually
  • Service MN, western WI, eastern SD, ND
  • Consult with/train veterinarians and licensed rehabilitators across the US and beyond

 

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Trauma

 

 

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Toxins

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Disease/Illness

West Nile virus ?

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Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

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Service - Training

“Raptor Academy” – provides a suite of training opportunities

  • Hands-on learning (internships/externships)in the area of avian medicine and surgery to people from 27 different countries
  • A suite of on-line courses for rehabilitators and managers of captive raptor collections
  • Workshops

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Service: Public Outreach

  • Reach over 100,000 people annually
  • Work with a collection of ~28 trained raptor ambassadors to engage and inspire

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Onsite – tours and programs

Offsite – programs

Virtual – tours and Zoomies

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Research

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One Health

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Population Recovery Projects

Peregrine falcon Bald eagle

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Hawk Mitigation - Galapagos

Rodent eradication

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  • Galapagos National Park
  • Charles Darwin Foundation

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Wind Turbine Mitigation

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Emerging Infectious Diseases

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HPAI – TRC’s Response

Resource

    • Provided guidelines for establishing biosecurity plans in the wildlife sector across the U.S.
    • Informed state and federal agencies of its presence in different localities in MN – alert system for poultry operations and other bird owners (large and small) so they could access their risk and act accordingly
    • Early on contact-tracing to notify potentially exposed vulnerable individuals
    • Working with MDH to monitor the health of our clinic staff

to better understand transmission to wildlife workers

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The next 50 years…

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What Next?

  • Increase our capacity as a resource for One Health Issues - surveillance/biosecurity measures
  • Increase access to diverse audiences/reduce barriers
    • Expand volunteer opportunities
    • Reach traditionally underserved communities with outreach
    • Increase activities in the community to engage/inspire behavior change to help the environment we all share
    • Expand global access – take it on the road

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2024 Celebration – Celebrate the past; focus on the future

  • Open house - Fun and unique opportunities for people to get a behind the scenes look at what it takes to run a raptor hospital, hear from the experts and experience raptors like never before
  • Theme of Fall Public Bird Release
  • Virtual event to celebrate with our stakeholders from across the US and globe
  • Gala
  • Campus event
  • Speaker series
  • Commemorative item
  • Others?

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Thank you!

Questions?