How It All Started, by Pual Kupchok
When the Ross Family purchased a 75-acre farm to open a school for very young children, every building on the property had chimneys that were painted green. Back then, no one could have known how important the color green would become to the future of Green Chimneys and to our planet. Not many were thinking about recycling, pollution, clean water, conservation, pesticides, or renewable energy. Few knew that certain birds were becoming extinct. And schools rarely taught children about the environment or about being “green”. Green Chimneys has truly been green for the past 65 years, helping children to understand the importance of nature and our connection to it.
It was this philosophy that brought me to Green Chimneys almost 25 years ago, when I interviewed for the position of Director of Green Chimneys Farm. As I toured Green Chimneys with Founder Dr. Samuel B. Ross, I mentioned my strong interest in wildlife and my belief that a wildlife conservation center would do much to reinforce the already successful farm program, bringing more programs and opportunities for Green Chimneys students, as well as the public. My prediction surpassed even my wildest dreams and today our wildlife program provides valuable education and interactive experiences for our school, and the larger wildlife community.
Today we maintain 51 birds of prey at the Green Chimneys wildlife conservation center, including an Andean condor; Griffon vulture; numerous hawks, falcons, and owls; several crows; and permanently disabled bald and golden eagles. Spring always brings large numbers of fledgling birds that need care, and the goal is to return them to the wild as soon as possible. One of our major accomplishments has been the hatching of barn owls and peregrine falcons from permanently injured pairs of adults.
Through the rehabilitation and care of these animals, our students have learned the true meaning of stewardship. They come face-to-face with the fact that animals can be needy and that they can play a role in nursing them back to health. It’s an especially important lesson for our children, who come to Green Chimneys with special needs of their own. Here we have an opportunity to take service receivers and make them service providers. When the children see the many birds that depend on them for care, they begin to see themselves going through the same kind of rehabilitation. When they learn that some of the birds will never be released, they understand the effect of a permanent disability. At the same time, they see the permanently injured bird’s struggle to survive. They see these birds try to reach an unreachable perch or see rehabilitated birds get released back into the wild. We believe that the children begin to understand that they can do the same, that they can accomplish many things they thought were impossible.
“With a Wing and a Prayer,” a full-day educational program on birds of prey and the environment, launched 20 years ago as a fundraiser to build Green Chimneys’ first aviary. The event has grown to host thousands each year featuring over 100 live birds of prey, and top environmental and wildlife experts such as Robert F Kennedy, Jr., Dr. Heinz Meng, Jane Goodall, the New York State Falconer’s Association, Jim Fowler, and so many others who have made this annual tradition what it is today. We look forward to our 20th Anniversary of Birds of Prey Day on Sunday, June 3rd – it will be our best and most exciting day yet!
This week’s Giveaway is a Family Four Pack to Birds of Prey Day.
To Enter: Click on the following link or copy/paste it into your browser. Enter by 10PM EST this Saturday.
This Giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Stacy Bisio.
Contest Rules: Must be a Macaroni Kid subscriber and 18 years of age or older to win. Winners will be selected at random via www.random.org and notified via email by noon this Sunday. Winner must respond via email to claim the prize within 24 hours of email notification; otherwise an alternate winner will be drawn.
Entering the contest automatically subscribes you to the Macaroni Kid Brewster's free, weekly e-newsletter. Your email address and information is never sold or shared; Punchtab only shares your email address and information with Macaroni Kid.
