Education
Interactive Educational Programs
Looking for a fun and educational experience for the whole family? Look no further than Three Rivers Avian Center’s interactive programs! These programs are designed to be accessible and engaging for visitors of all ages. Learn more about the programs below.
Engaging Live Presentations
Our educational programs feature live, non-releasable Raptor Ambassadors, all native to West Virginia. These presentations cover a variety of topics related to birds of prey, including their habitat, diet, and unique adaptations.
Program Customization
We can tailor our programs to fit the specific interests of your group. Whether you’re interested in learning about conservation efforts, birdwatching basics, or the fascinating lives of raptors, we have something for everyone.
Here are some of the topics covered in our programs:
- The importance of wild bird conservation
- Laws protecting birds of prey
- Raptor behavior and adaptations
- Diet and hunting techniques
- Interesting facts about each featured bird species
Wings of Wonder:
WV Birds of Prey
Our most popular program, "Wings of Wonder: WV Birds of Prey," features six of the most common raptors found in WV. Currently, the list includes:
- Two species of owls
- Two species of falcons
- A hawk
- Our bald eagle, Ambassador Regis.
This program is presented in front of a seated audience. Depending on the questions, "Wings of Wonder: WV Birds of Prey" is about a 45-minute to 60-minute program.
The birds will be displayed on the glove, one at a time, and presented as the focus for discussion concerning their ecology, biology, and case history. It is tailored to the ages and needs of our audiences.
We also like to cover:
- Why we have laws protecting raptors and all wild birds
- A discussion of the most common hazards wild birds face
- The work we do at TRAC to return threatened wild birds to their native habitats
Hoot & Holler:
WV Owls
"Hoot & Holler: WV Owls" features various species of Owl Ambassadors common in WV together with a raven:
- Barn owl
- Screech owl
- Great horned owl
- Barred owl
- Raven
Depending on the questions, the program is about a half-hour long. The birds are brought out on the glove on at a time to be displayed and discussed.
WV Birds of Prey
Display
This presentation features a static display with three birds on perches behind a display table.
It is suitable for situations where people are moving freely between other booths or displays. Our presenters are there to answer any questions and talk about the work we do.
The presentation may extend up to 7 hours. Actual hours are adjusted according to venue and weather/heat concerns.
Book Your Program Today!
Contact Three Rivers Avian Center to learn more about our educational programs and book your experience today!
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Lead Poisoning In Birds
Lead poisoning poses a severe threat to birds, especially raptors and waterfowl. These majestic creatures can ingest lead from various sources, such as lead ammunition fragments in food sources, lead fishing weights, and lead-based paints or hardware. Even small amounts of lead can cause devastating effects, including neurological disorders, reproductive issues, and ultimately death. Lead poisoning has contributed to the decline of many bird species, underscoring the importance of raising awareness and implementing measures to reduce lead exposure in the environment. By promoting the use of non-toxic alternatives and proper disposal of lead-containing materials, we can help protect our feathered friends and preserve the delicate balance of nature.
The Problem? Bullet Fragmentation
The magnitude of the problem for birds has only come into focus in the last 10 years or so.
The lead-free solid copper bullet on the left poses no health risks, but the lead bullet on the right can fragment into numerous small pieces after entering an animal’s body. These fragments may be too tiny to detect if you accidentally consume meat from an animal shot with lead ammunition. Moreover, the bullet’s force creates an instantaneous pressurized cavity within the animal’s tissues, potentially dispersing fragments beyond the wound channel without leaving visible bruising. Hunters may inadvertently miss these unmarked fragments during butchering, exposing consumers, especially children who are 15 times more sensitive to lead poisoning than adults, to potential lead contamination. Switching to non-lead ammunition eliminates this hazard, safeguarding human health and the environment from the dangers of lead poisoning.
The health effects of lead upon birds (and other wildlife) are the same as on humans. Predatory birds ingest lead by scavenging from gut piles left in the woods and from the carcasses of shot animals who have escaped only to die in the woods.
There is also another path of lead poisoning to birds like Eagles and Ospreys, which are fish hunters. The dangers of using lead shot over water when hunting waterfowl are well documented. But people have also been using lead sinkers and shot weights when fishing for a very long time. Those sources of lead find their way into the aquatic-based predator diet when they eat fish who have swallowed lead tackle or shot when escaping from a hook or by picking it up when scavenging in the muck of riverbeds.
Even if the bird is not killed outright, it can become debilitated and subject to accidental death from things like collisions or disease. A dead raptor in the woods is just another source of lead poisoning to the next animal that scavenges it, like raccoons or opossums. Vultures are especially vulnerable because they scavenge everything from dead deer to fish.