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Morning Edition
Cathy Wurzer and Gracie Stockton

50 years and flying: The Raptor Center hosts public celebration, bird release for its anniversary

A bald eagle is held by a Gabbert Raptor Center worker.
A bald eagle is held by a Gabbert Raptor Center worker inside the center at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul.
Evan Frost | MPR News 2018

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The Raptor Center is marking 50 years of helping Minnesota’s birds of prey. It was founded in 1974 at the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus by College of Veterinary Medicine faculty member Gary Duke and veterinary student Gary Redig.

In its humble beginnings, the center was focused on treating individual birds, Lori Arent, interim executive director, told Morning Edition Host Cathy Wurzer on Friday.

“That’s still a major mission of ours. But we’ve also learned that every bird that comes through our doors has a story to tell, and it’s a story about what’s happening in the environment, natural spaces that we share with these birds,” Arent said. “We take their stories and we try to make change, right? Make people increase their awareness to help us be better stewards of our shared environment.”

The center, which now treats more than a thousand birds each year, is kicking off the festivities with a public celebration on Saturday. In an annual tradition, it will return rehabilitated raptors to the wild. This year, there’ll also be family-friendly activities, educational booths and raptor ambassadors from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Carpenter Nature Center in Hastings.

Listen to Arent and Wurzer’s full conversation about the Center’s history and ways the public can help protect birds of prey by clicking on the player button.