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Free Flight (February 2016)
There’s a brand new building at the Raptor Recovery Rehabilitation Center in Elmwood. The old 8-cage Stall Barn was replaced with a new 13-cage Stall Barn. In just a few months, this building has reduced the backlog of birds waiting for intermediate housing in the progression from hospital to freedom. Finally completed…
Membership Milepost
First, I would like to say thank you to the many members and visitors who gave us feedback regarding these changes. Starting February 1 membership prices now reflect the large community Fontenelle Forest has become. Individual, Two Individuals, and Household levels will each increase $10. I’m also excited to announce…
Raptors at Risk: Lead Poisoning
Lead is a material that has a long-standing history of use by people for a variety of different applications. For thousands of years it has served purposes such as decorative sculptures, cooking utensils, water pipes, and, more recently, inexpensive ammunition. Over the past few decades, the practical applications of this…
SUN: Seniors Understanding Nature
Once a month a group of senior citizens gather at Fontenelle Forest for conversation and learning. Some of those who attend have been coming to this program for several years and return every month for another new experience. The SUN (Seniors Understanding Nature) program was created in 2002 by one…
Field Notes – January 2016
Greetings and Happy New Year Fontenelle Forest members and friends! We are excited about some of Fontenelle Forest’s recent happenings and look forward to a banner year in 2016 for the Forest. At this writing, Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor Recovery treated 555 birds of prey in 2015. This is the second…
Prescribed Fire at Fontenelle Forest
Burn season, typically the months from November to March in the Midwest, is generally our window to incorporate one of our most complex management tools, prescribed fire. When land management crews plan on using prescribed fire, there are a lot of trials and tribulations that come with using this primitive…
Giving Tuesday: See the Forest in an all new way
Before my recent appointment as Fontenelle Forest’s Interim Executive Director, I served the Forest as a long-time Teacher Naturalist volunteer. As a TN I’ve had the privilege of leading scores of hikes and other interpretive programs at the Forest. In particular, I enjoy leading visitors on night hikes. Member-only night…
Giving Tuesday: Create a deeper connection with nature
Fontenelle Forest Membership runs in my family. My grandparents are members, my parents are members, and my husband, son, and I are members.—that’s four generations! The reasons we became members are numerous and could easily fill this post. The ageless beauty of the forest is a natural gathering place for…
Giving Tuesday: Teaching kids about conservation
I have spent much of my time as a Naturalist playing the role of Flo Swiftly, the Hydrologist, in our hour long skit about the water cycle that is included in our H2Omaha program offered to every single 5th grader in the Omaha Public School District. When the science standards…
Giving Tuesday: Raptor education and rescue
Although I do raptor programs of all sizes of audiences, my favorites are the small groups. I’ll put down a cloth and sit crisscross on the floor with the audience. That way, they can look into their eyes, and they can also admire the fine detail of their feathers. Even…