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Raptor Chronicles
By Colorado's Oldest Raptor Sanctuary
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Message from the President
Hope everyone had a wonderful "Owloween!"
This edition will be short and sweet: our storm damage was repaired in two days flat, thanks to the AMAZING crew from Metro Fence. I'm sure our buteos were wondering why they were evicted for a couple of days, but we're thrilled at the results. Who knew that two new and very upright posts could be so exciting!~Anne Price, President
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The Wings of Winter: Sold Out!
The Best Raptor ID Class in Colorado Returns on November 12th!
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We are very humbled by the overwhelming response to our upcoming Wings of Winter Raptor ID Class.
The class has sold out as of November 1st. Thank you to all the attendees!
Special thanks to Park Manager Michelle Seubert for helping to arrange use of the
wonderful Barr Lake facilities!
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Desert Storm War Memorial Development |
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Robert Eccleston holds a "printed" positive of the bald eagle's head behind him. At twice life-size, the head shows how large the final sculpture will be. Robert has selected this high tech process which utilizes a laser scan of the finished model (not yet finished) and then sends the data to a company in Oregon which specializes in printing with the material that can be cast in bronze or stainless steel at the foundry in Loveland. Robert is using this method instead of the traditional "lost wax" method to create the two raptors central to the Desert Storm War Memorial which will be installed on the National Mall in our nation's capitol. Although initially more costly, this method saves a considerable amount of time in producing the final sculpture.
As you watch the video from our previous story about our part in this production, note that the soldiers shown in relief on the sand dune are being modeled by an artist residing in Vermont. The marble that will represent the sand dune is being quarried in Brazil and then sent to Italy, where artists will carve the figures into the marble. The finished piece will then be sent to America for the installation. Part of the memorial's design includes a fountain with all of the water storage and pumping controls hidden underground. Robert explained that the engineering and mechanical requirements of the fountain were probably the most expensive part of this $30 million project. By the way, the clay that Robert uses to model the saker falcon and bald eagle is not the conventional modelling clay used by sculptors; it's the stuff invented by Hollywood artists to create the various creatures found in the movies.~Peter Reshetniak, Director of Special Projects
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On October 25 and 26th, these amazing guys from Metro Fence replaced the two center posts on the west wall of our buteo pen. They peeled back the green fence and the privacy netting covering it, pulled out the old poles, cleared the surface of the pea gravel, and dug nice deep holes. New poles were set and the cement cured overnight. Watch the video below to get a better idea of the work involved. Did we mention that the marine-grade netting had to be hand-laced back in place to connect to the wall as well?
THANK YOU to all of our members who contributed the funds to cover our $500 deductible!
And, a BIG thank you to Julian Sr, Julian Jr, and Alan!
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Lots of Other Ways to Help! |
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A Special Anniversary Offer on All Three of Our Books!
Celebrate our 42nd anniversary by purchasing our
three books at this special price!
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Our Online Store is Open!
A new look...click on the image below.
SORRY...OWL PURSES SOLD OUT
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Help Our Book Fly Higher:
Order Today!
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
“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
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Listen for us the first Saturday of the month at
12:00 Noon for five minutes of "raptorous"
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Presenting the newest Jabebo raptor earrings! Kevin and Anne's latest collaboration is the broad-winged hawk, the smallest member of the Buteo genus in North America. Weighing as few as 10 ounces, these hardy hawks migrate all the way to South America each year, and are common in the eastern half of the US.
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Help us put another 1,000 eagles on the streets of our great state. Qualified members of REF are entitled to display them on their cars. Put Colorado's first and best environmental plates on YOUR vehicle!
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One of our members sent us this picture of his Cobra with our license plates. Anyone else out there with a classic car wearing our eagle? Send us your image! |
Special thanks to The Kroenke Group & THF Realty for extending our lease and keeping the fee at zero dollars though 2023! 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 newest intersections as of October 2021.
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WISH LIST
We're 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
in case you missed any issues, we currently have 34 editions dating back to June 2020!
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Limited Edition Eagle Pin |
An exclusive creation for us, this fine pewter pin has been hand painted to let everyone know what you think of America's living national symbol. Available in a very limited edition, while they last. This beautiful pin measures 1 1/8" by 1 1/2". Two clasps keep it firmly attached. $50 each includes shipping. Discounts for multiple purchases. Click here to order.
If you don't wish to use PayPal, then please click here.
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Birds of Prey Champions Gather Again |
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We're going back to our favorite winter playground once again: Beaver Creek Resort, for the Birds of Prey World Cup. Look for us on the mountain at the Red Tail Finish Stadium December 2-4th. Beaver Creek has already received over a foot of snow, and we're very excited to see all of our colleagues at the Vail Valley Foundation and the Talon Crew!
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It's officially fall: the Swainson's hawks have left, and massive numbers of red-tailed hawks are moving in. Many of our resident Colorado birds don't migrate, but migrants from other states and areas of North America either move through Colorado, or chose to winter here (we have awesome skiing and lots of sunny days!). This handsome bird is a teenager on his/her first migration or "passage". His tail has numerous stripes, and his pale head is accented by light-colored eyes. |
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Join the 55 Families Supporting Our Raptor Sanctuary
Help Us Reach 100 Supporting Families!
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Have you signed up for the King Soopers Community Rewards Program yet? Do you have a Loyalty Card and digital account? Just visit https://www.kingsoopers.com/o/store-services/community-rewards , log in and enroll to have REF receive donated funds from King Soopers and Kroger! We'd love to increase the number of families supporting us...please share with your friends and family!
OUR COMMUNITY REWARDS NUMBER IS TF405. Simply log into your account, look for "Community Rewards" on the left hand side, and enter TF405. Our name will appear, and you can link your card to REF. You save on groceries, earn fuel points, and we'll receive a quarterly donation from King Soopers.
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In addition to the USA, our Facebook followers are found in the following countries:
United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Pakistan, Netherlands, Italy, Mexico, Australia and France!
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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!!
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REF Staff: Anne Price, President & Curator; Peter Reshetniak, Founder & Director of Special Projects; Savannah Grout, Mews Manager
Docents & Volunteers: Phil Carter, Kevin Corwin, Karen Gonzalez, Kim Kistler, Linda Julia, Jennifer McAllister, Zachary Nastri, Peggy Plaus, Anne Price, Jennifer Redmond, Peter Reshetniak, Beverly Rice, Mitch Skinner and Ann Stanz
Docents in Training: Kristy Bortz and Karen Ogle
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