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Lead in Eagles: Special Lecture
March 23, 2019 @ 8:00 am - 9:00 am
$5 – $16
Join us for a special lecture on the issue of lead poisoning in Eagles. Kay Newman, Executive Director of Iowa’s nonprofit S.O.A.R., standing for “Saving Our Avian Resources”, will be speaking about research and studies conducted on lead poisoning in the raptor population, and what it takes to attempt to save their lives. After the lecture, she will bring out a live Bald Eagle for people to see up close and learn from.
This lecture is one feature of Eagle Day at Fontenelle Forest, so with the admission to the lecture ($5 for members $16 for non-members) you also get to participate in any other Eagle Day activities, visit the Raptor Woodland Refuge to see more birds of prey, or take a hike through the woods!
About the Lead poisoning issue:
It’s nearly impossible to say exactly where each Eagle comes into contact with lead. But most often, they encounter the toxic element when they scavenge for food. After hunters shoot an animal, they tend to gut it, leaving the innards out in the open. These “gut piles,” as they’re referred to, then attract scavenging Eagles. When the Eagles ingest these tainted pi;es of food, the lead works its way into their blood stream, wreaking havoc and leaving a minimal chance of survival, even in a hospital setting with intensive treatment. Lead poisoning paralyzes the intestines and can cause a very painful death to any animal. Seeing so many Eagles succumb to lead poisoning over the past two years takes a toll on rehabilitators and volunteers, but will also have long-term effects on the Eagle populations and the food chain.
About the Lecturer:
Kay Newman is a flurry of activity! She provides the daily care, monitoring, and rehabilitation needs of the patients and care and feeding of the education birds, provides programming to school and adult groups, plus keeping the freezer stocked with food, and doing her least favorite activity — record-keeping. She makes time to oversee the education and training of high school and college interns as these are our future biologists, rehabilitators, conservation managers, and environmental educators.
Kay has an M.S. in Wildlife Biology and a B.A. in Biology. She has been working in the fields of environmental education, wildlife research, wildlife rehabilitation, and natural resources restoration for more than 25 years. Kay is a master-class rehabilitator and master-class falconer and celebrated her 30th hunting season in 2014. Kay received the 2014 Ada Hayden Conservation Education Award from the Iowa Association of Naturalists / Iowa Conservation Education Coalition for outstanding efforts for education on preservation, land management, or natural resource conservation.
About S.O.A.R.:
Saving Our Avian Resources, SOAR is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1999 dedicated to saving our avian resources through raptor rehabilitation, education, and research. SOAR maintains all necessary US Fish & Wildlife Service and Iowa DNR permits to provide the rehabilitation and education.
S.O.A.R. Goals: Establish a regional raptor rehabilitation facility to serve western Iowa. Use personal connections with individual, wild animals to bring attention to important natural resource conservation projects and issues. Conserve habitat, conduct needed research, and provide educational opportunities.