Raptors visit campus

HOUGHTON — Michigan Tech students got to get up close up and personal with some raptors on campus today.

Members of The Chocolay Raptor Center brought their four resident birds to Houghton to teach students about these animals. The students got an up close look at an American kestrel falcon…a peregrine falcon, a great horned owl, and red-tailed hawk.

Wildlife rehabilitators Bob Jensen and Jerry Maynard enjoy releasing a recovered bird back into the wild, but that just really isn’t enough.

Chocolay Raptor Center Co-founder Jerry Maynard said, “I quickly realized hat’s great, that’s great work. It’s a great feeling when you can do that but we can only do a few birds a year but we can educate a lot more people. So, now education, particularly the young people, is our primary mission.”

It’s their hope that people who come out to see their birds will be more aware of wildlife and environmental issues.