Bird lovers needed for Raptor Training program
The Northern Illinois Raptor Center (NIRC) is seeking interns for its upcoming educational sessions. NIRC has new "mews" (homes) in Vogelei Park and will be placing birds in the mews in the near future.
Helpers are needed to take care of the birds. Training begins Sunday, Oct. 6 and runs for 6 weeks from 12:30-4:30 p.m.
Operating out of the Vogelei Barn in Hoffman Estates, the NIRC is a charitable 501(c)3 organization that brings live raptor educational programming opportunities to Vogelei Park and the Hoffman Estates Park District. In the Fall of 2013, a new display will be ready to house a variety of birds of prey for display to our community near the Safety Town at Vogelei Park.
The NIRC was formed to bring together the different groups of specialists in the area of birds of prey. These groups of specialists consist of veterinarians, falconers, rehabilitators and conservation organizations working in the areas of education, conservation, research, veterinary medicine, and falconry.
With the completion of the mews and the plan to place the birds in their new homes, there is a great need for more volunteers. Yet, in order to care for the birds, special training is needed.
“The perfect intern candidate is a patient person who loves animals, particularly birds, and has an interest in nature and conservation. Interns are people who love the outdoors and enjoy all four seasons. The best intern is someone willing to learn, who is comfortable with animals, including their handling.
NIRC is looking for those with a willingness to work, maintain and care for the raptors after the training is over. Especially desirable are those who are willing to speak in front of groups, both large and small on behalf of NIRC.
Participants will gain an in-depth knowledge of raptors, their characteristics, their behaviors, their role in nature, and care, handling, training techniques; an appreciation of raptors and conservation and will learn how to address an injured bird event After training, the interns will have many volunteer opportunities, including care and handling of raptors; training raptors; facility maintenance; soliciting donations and applying for grants; website maintenance and presenting at raptor programs.
The training fee is $200 and includes education of and hands on training with the raptors. Each student will be given a notebook full of info. A limited number of spaces are available. Interested? Contact Barbara Schmidt at bschmidt@tnirc.org or 847-323-2953. For more information about NIRC visit tnirc.org