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Raptors? New Home

Predators Fly Over Grand Canyon of the East at Quechee, Vt., Nature Center

Q U E C H E E, Vt., April 19 ? The Vermont Institute of Natural Science had a problem. So many visitors were showing up at its headquarters in Woodstock ? up to 30,000 a year ? that neighbors complained the area's rural character was being ruined.

A long legal battle ended with a settlement and a move to another location. VINS hopes its new Nature Center, opening June 12 in Quechee, will become one of the state's top attractions.

The highlight of the Nature Center will be a raptor exhibit ? 17 pens, some as big as small houses ? housing falcons, hawks, owls and eagles. These injured birds of prey are taken in by VINS for rehabilitation, and visitors will see them up close in falconing demonstrations and other programs.

The location of the new center, between the Ottauquechee River and Vermont's most heavily traveled tourist route, the east-west U.S. Route 4, will allow VINS to enter its third decade with a major boost in profile. There are two popular attractions near the new location: the dramatic cliffs and waterfalls of Quechee Gorge, also known as the Grand Canyon of the East; and Quechee Village, which is home to numerous antiques dealers and the famed Simon Pearce glassblowing workshop.

Trails will lead from the main part of the center down to the nearby Ottauquechee River and a backwater ideal for viewing waterfowl. Others will connect with the neighboring Quechee State Park and the renowned gorge.

Long-Term Home to Raptors

Jason Drebitko, whose professional expertise is in the development of public display facilities like museums and aquariums, said VINS has estimated that its new home will draw 60,000 visitors in its first year and twice that in years to come.

Between 300 and 500 injured birds are brought to VINS each year, most suffering from encounters with cars or bullets. About half the birds are patched up and returned to the wild. A few are so badly injured they must be euthanized, while others are healthy enough to survive in captivity but cannot be released. Some of those are given to other nature centers or zoos, while some live out their days at VINS.

VINS treats all types of birds, but only offers a long-term home to raptors. The institute has satellite offices in Montpelier and Manchester and conducts educational programs around the state.

The 17 raptor pens have been built in a semicircle around an outdoor amphitheater. Here the institute's "Predators of the Sky Program" will take place, with trainers releasing birds that circle above the spectators before returning to perch on the staff member's hand.

Inside the semicircle, an enclosed walkway will lead from the home of the diminutive screech owl to the massive enclosure ? 17-by-40-by-20 feet ? housing the center's bald eagle.

Lost Feathers to Indians

Among the government regulations the facility must follow is a rule that when eagles lose feathers or die, the feathers or carcass must be sent to a federal facility in Colorado that distributes them to Indian tribes for use in ceremonial dress.

All of VINS' raptors have some disability that prevent them from coping in the wild. Often it's a nonfunctioning wing or a missing eye. Mike Pratt, the institute's director of wildlife services, helped design the birds' new surroundings to accommodate their limitations. He talks of the "furniture" that will go into the pens, designed so that injured birds will be able to climb and perch. "You set it up to meet the needs of a handicapped bird, just as you would with people," he said.

But the biggest change at VINS' new location will be the increased number of visitors who will learn about the birds. "We want," said Pratt, "to reach more people."

If You Go?

HOURS: Beginning June 12, the Vermont Institute of Natural Science will be open daily, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m through Oct. 31; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 1 to April 30.
ADMISSION: $8, adults; $6.50, children 3 to 16.

GETTING THERE: Located on Route 4 near the Quechee Gorge. From I-89, take Exit 1 to Route 4 West.
CONTACT: Visit www.vinsweb.org or call (802) 457-2779; after June 12, call (802) 359-5000.
ATTRACTIONS: Raptor exhibits and demonstrations, nature trails. Next to the nature center is Quechee Gorge, a geological wonder of cliffs, deep pools and waterfalls that is sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the East; also nearby is Quechee Village, which features numerous antiques dealers and the Simon Pearce glassblowing workshop. Contact the Quechee Chamber of Commerce at www.quechee.com or (802) 295-7900 for details.

Posted by thinkum at April 19, 2004 12:54 PM