So normally when I post events it means we have a canoe raffle but this time we only took some of our residents with some props. We had four birds, two turtles, and some madagascar cockroaches. Overall the purpose of us being at the event was to talk about the center, the animals we have, why we have them, and to just teach the public in general about birds, turtles, and the cockroaches. I got the chance to switch back and forth between the birds and turtles/cockroaches.
At the turtle booth we talked about the five turtles native to Northern Wisconsin. There are 11 species of turtles native to Wisconsin. We had Woody the Wood Turtle and Snort the Spiny Softshell turtle. Wood turtles are mainly terrestrial while Spiny Softshells are mainly in water so it was interesting having both to compare. Most people, including myself at one point, thought turtles were aquatic and terrestrial (except Tortoise of course) but learned some things. Many compare the wood turtle to the snapping turtle so we talked about their differences. Snappers have ridges on back of shell (like spikes) while wood turtles are flat. Wood turtles also have very orange skin under their shell while Snapping turtles do not. We talked about how the Blanding's turtle and Wood turtle are both threatened in Wisconsin and somewhat about habitat when asked or who seemed the most common (Painted and Snapping) though Softshells are the most I believe. I cannot remember 100% but we had shells showing how turtles aged from small to their bigger size. Some snapping turtle eggs as well to show their size and a snapping turtle skull. Pictures were there for each turtle and overall I was actually able to talk about turtles for once rather then birds all the time lol.
At the bird booth we had four birds with us; Sierra the Red-tailed Hawk, Leo the Long-eared Owl, Rory the Broad-winged Hawk, and TJ the American Kestrel. We periodically rotated the birds to give each and break and give others the chance to see them. We talked about each bird and why they are at the center with us. Sierra was shot and therefore she cannot hunt due to lacking her gliding capability. Rory is missing his right eye completely from a possible nest fall during a wind storm. Leo has a broken shoulder or elbow and therefore struggles during flight. TJ has neurological issues, nervous system, due to possible head trauma; she bobs her head and tail when she should not and also her one eye is slightly closed at all times. We had an owl wing and a hawk wing. Reason why was to explain flight. Owls have frayed feathers that allow silent flight (making them slower as well) while hawks have sharp feathers that make sound but also make them very fast and agile. There are three types of birds of pray; Buteos, Accipiters, and Falcons. Buteos have short tails and broad wings for long distance flight / soaring. Accipiters have longer tails, more curved wings, and are overall built for speed. Falcons are built for fast speeds, agility, and maneuverability. For example the Peregrine Falcon can fly up to 220mph! One of the fastest animals on earth if not thee fastest! We also had an owl and hawk skull. This helped explained how owls have large eye sockets since they cannot roll their eyes or move them like we can which is why they turn their heads to see. They can turn their heads 280 degrees, not 360 degrees or all the way around like many believe. These large eyes are meant for seeing in the dark since owls are nocturnal. Hawks however have smaller eyes and can also move them a lot like we can. They can turn their head 180 degrees but do not need much movement otherwise since they can move their eyes to see and only need to see during daylight hours. Finally we had talons (red tailed hawk, great horned owl, broad winged hawk, and eagle) to show the sizes and how the hawks are different from owls once again. Owls have four toes that form a box when they grasp something while hawks/eagles have three toes in front and one toe in back.
It's obvious I still remember more about birds then turtles but I am learning of course. Talking to people all day about both truly helped since I had the assistant education director with me to answer questions or help me recall facts about the birds, turtles, and such. I got to peel off from the booth for a while and check out all the awesome rocks, gems, and fossils. I saw amazing jewerly but I swear everything was like $10-$25 and UP! Some of the stuff I wanted was $45 for one and $50 for the next but hey, I am a poor college student. Some day though! Some day! I also ate a brat. I used to dislike brats but wisconsin makes the most amazing brats I have ever had (and who can not love cheese curds). Both of these things, amongst other things, I will miss about this place.
Overall the gem show went well. We finished at 5pm and headed back. After work I helped feed once and ended up watching The Host with two other interns. We later went out and got ice cream at Culvers then returned back to finish movie time. I got a mint and reese pieces concrete mixer from Culvers. Amazing ice cream! Later that day I went to bed of course but overall the day was great and I must say I throughly enjoyed holding Sierra the Red-tailed Hawk. I wish I had a picture but her and Race both are amazing birds. Well, who here isn't an amazing bird?
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