President's Message

As the leaves continue to fall around my yard, and blow across the crystal blue skies of Colorado, I'm feeling rather reflective as I prepare for the coming winter. I saw my first sandhill cranes last week, hearing their beautiful calls first before finally locating several groups, elegantly swirling around the sky east of our facility. I was up on a ladder at the time, peaking through the netted roof of our mews, so it was good thing that my assistant mews manager kindly, but firmly, admonished me to pay attention and return to the task at hand. I adore autumn...at this time of the year, my "happy brain" thinks of nothing but falconry and football!

The reflective part of my brain is dwelling on the reunion I attended last month in San Francisco, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the closure of Marine World Africa USA, where I got my start in raptors. Most folks in attendance I had not seen in 39 1/2 years...effectively, my entire lifetime as an adult. The tears, laughs and emotions, especially when speaking about the animals we loved so deeply, left an indelible mark on my heart. It takes years, decades even, to comprehend and value the impact that those early experiences have on a person. I'm so grateful that my parents allowed me just enough rope to find a passion and develop a work ethic which stays with me to this day.

Peter's reflections and tribute to one of our earliest directors and stalwart supporters is below. Bill Greve was a true Bon Vivant, if there ever were one. I only met Bill once, but we spoke on the phone several times. Boy, I wish we'd had a chance to share a good Texas margarita together!

Fair winds and following seas, shipmate. We have your watch, you stand relieved.

~ Anne Price, President

A Few REF History Links

 White House Visit, Colorado’s First Environmental License Plates, Best Raptor Book Ever,  Our Raptors Cruise to Alaska, Consulting on National Memorial Sculpture, US Naval War College Special Program, Colorado Parks & Wildlife, Birds of Prey International Skiing Championships, International Falconry Festival, National Geographic, State & County Fairs,  Natural Solutions Consulting Services

William (Bill) F. Greve, Jr.
1935-2025

Me and one of my REF colleagues were in downtown Denver in 1981 and we had just walked out of a brand-new building which had been officially dedicated by one of our Harris's hawks flying over the heads of gathered dignitaries to deliver the "key" to the building. We completed our ceremony, walked out of the newest addition to the Denver skyline, hawk in hand, only to be stopped abruptly by a tall fellow in a suit with a Texas accent loudly asking ,"Hey, what do you have there and what are you doing?"

Thus began a long, fruitful, and very fun relationship with the most iconoclastic lawyer, petroleum engineer, roustabout, roughneck, Naval officer, ship's navigator, Battalion Commander, Eagle Scout, and reptile fancier I could have ever imagined. And, he was a Texan to boot!

During his petroleum adventures he worked at Zapata Oil, George H.W. Bush's company, which is how Bill and I wound up visiting with the Vice President in 1982 to deliver the world's first bald eagle replica made entirely out of goose feathers. This was a project I had consulted on and the timing matched the centennial celebration of the bald eagle being designated as America's living national symbol. The eagle replica is somewhere in the Smithsonian Museum, however, along with the replica, we took several bald eagle posters which Bill had financed for REF, and those were signed by the Vice President. The posters are now in private collections. Bill also financed REF's great horned owl poster during that time frame.

Bill was an energy dynamo; he very actively involved with his children making sure they were immersed into the outdoor world, the world of sports, the world of scouting and with a variety of different reptiles which were housed at Bill and wife Peggy's homes, wherever they were living. I was always surprised by how Bill managed to create an adventure out of almost anything he set his mind to. Many of those adventures cannot be described in the public record, and if you ever have a chance to spend a few minutes with me, lubricated with an adult libation, just ask and be prepared to hold on for the ride of your life. I just might tell you how Bill flew our female golden eagle onto center stage during my introduction of the IMAX movie "Flight" in the brand new IMAX theater at the Denver Museum of Natural History, my former home as an artist and naturalist. That flight was not part of the plan!

Bill was a blessing to me personally, and to REF professionally. He lives on with everything we do. In tribute to Bill, this issue features videos of an Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony and this year's Fourth of July Eagle Program.~Peter Reshetniak, Founder

Photo Above: Bill on the left, Peter on the right and Vice President Bush in the middle

Below: Bill with our female golden eagle, taken around 1985

For Bill's complete obituary, click here. Lots of wonderful pictures!

Flocks of Other Ways to Help!

A Special Anniversary Offer on All Three of Our Books!

Celebrate our 45th anniversary by purchasing our

three books at this special price!

Just click

AWARD WINNER

Help Our Book Fly Higher:

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Winner of the 2020 Skipping Stones Honor Award for Nature and Ecology Books

Reviews

“A unique book aimed at introducing young and beginning birders to the world of raptors. . . . creative for certain! Helpful, too.”–Jim Williams, Wingnut Blog, Minneapolis Star Tribune



“A very cool new book.”–Doc Kirby, On The Bookshelf

“Bird enthusiasts of all ages will find this book full of educational fun.”–Skipping Stones

“Beautiful, educational coloring book.”–Katie L.Burke, American Scientist

“All the essays were well-written and provided lots of easy-to-understand information, which allows the reader to identify many different types of raptors. I also really enjoyed the further reading at the back of the book about the kestrel box. The instructions were clear-cut, and the activity was easy and fun to do.”–Hannah, age thirteen, Kids’ BookBuzz

Orders Here! Or you may order on Amazon. Peek Inside

Read more about the author and the illustrator.

New Earrings Arrive!

Presenting: Falco mexicanus!

We are VERY excited about Jabebo's newest earring design, the hardy and beautiful prairie falcon. This large falcon, about the same size as a peregrine, is found only in the dry, Great Basin of North America. Surviving in landscapes tested by drought, wind and snow, this versatile falcon will hunt mammals, as well as birds. Get yours here!

Special thanks to The Kroenke Group & THF Realty for extending our lease at very affordable rates for the next 5 years. Support like this ensures we will make it through these challenging times.

Thanks to our past and future partners, THF Prairie Center Development, L.L.C., THF Prairie Center Investors, L.L.C. and the City of Brighton, for creating the best intersection in Colorado just a minute or two north of our headquarters!

As the new villages grow at Prairie Center, so do the streets with cool names! Check out some of the street names!

WISH LIST

We're still looking for a gently-used, 20-25 foot RV (Class C) that would serve as a mobile office for traveling programs around Colorado and farther away. Or maybe you have an SUV or pickup truck you would like to donate? We can put it to good use! Please give our office a call if you have a vehicle you think we could use!

(303) 680-8500

Thank you!

Raptor Chronicles

Previous Issues Archived Here

Just in case you've missed any issues, we currently have issues dating back to January 2020.

Eagle Scout Court of Honor

Congratulations to Eagle Scout Caleb Naber! On October 5th we were honored to be invited to participate in Caleb's Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony in Littleton. Our eagle had quite a bit to say throughout the program, which is always fun for the audience and an occasional challenge for Anne.

If you're looking for the perfect addition of a live eagle with a bit of history, both American and natural, to the ceremony to celebrate your new Eagle Scout, give us a call!

Join the 88 Families Helping Our Raptor Sanctuary

Help Us Reach 100 Supporting Families!

Independence Day Celebration

The annual Fourth of July "Feathered Friends" program at the Sue Corbett Adult Center at Eagle View is always well attended, with the added fun of a few grandchildren in attendance. Veteran audience member Randy W, known for his flashy attire year-round, looked extra-patriotic with his star-spangled cowboy hat! Anne always enjoys a chance to speak about the founding of our nation and how the bald eagle recovered from persecution in 20th century.

As America prepares to celebrate our 250th birthday next year, it's gratifying to see our National Bird flourishing throughout the land!

In addition to the United States of America, our Facebook and YouTube followers are found in the following countries:

Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Russia, Spain, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.

Automatic Monthly Donations: Thanks to everyone who has set up a monthly donation via PayPal. We have people from both coasts, a few states in the middle and in Colorado contributing automatic monthly pledges...thank you all!

REF Staff: Anne Price, President & Curator; Peter Reshetniak, Founder & Director of Special Projects; Savannah Grout, Mews Manager; Karen Ogle Assistant Mews Manager

Docents & Volunteers: Kristy Bortz, Clarissa Cigrand, Megan Considine, Karen Gonzalez, Kim Kistler, Linda Julia, Jackson Lincoln, Jennifer McAllister, Karen Ogle, May Ann Ottinger, Anne Price, Jennifer Redmond, Peter Reshetniak, Beverly Rice, Mitch Skinner and Ann Stanz

Docents in Training: Robert Mitchell and Peggy Plaus