Say Hello to the Barn Owl |
In May, we welcomed a new avian ambassador to our team: a female barn owl, hatched in captivity earlier in the spring. As you may already know, nearly all our birds originated in the wild, and were only brought under human care in the first place due to serious, irreversible injury. This barn owl represents a shift in the animal care community to focus more on utilizing captive-born animals for education to ensure we are always seeking better ways to serve animals that are unable to survive in the wild.
Professional standards of care are constantly evolving, as is our understanding of what our animal co-workers need from us, and it has become clear that birds raised in captivity experience less stress when interacting with humans than do their wild, parent-reared counterparts. As our raptors are regularly exposed to people, serving as ambassadors for their species by helping our educators teach programs across the region, this is an important consideration. We take our responsibility as caretakers seriously, and made the decision to bring the barn owl into our team with her well-being in mind. While there are currently limited species being captive-bred, whenever we make these choices, the raptor’s welfare is always paramount.
The barn owl has recently begun teaching programs, and is already excelling in her role as an ambassador. In partnership with our amazing (human) educators, she helps people learn all about her species. For example, did you know that the heart-shaped face of a barn owl serves a very important function? The unique structure of their facial disk, shaped a little bit like a satellite, helps to direct sound toward their ears. The placement of some owl ears is unusual, too: the right ear sits slightly lower than the left, so when an owl is listening when hunting, a sound coming from below them will be louder in the right ear than in the left, allowing them to pinpoint their prey with incredible accuracy.
As barn owls are believed to be extirpated in the state of Michigan, it’s unlikely you’ll see one in your backyard. Sightings in the wild have been infrequent and difficult to verify. Harsh weather conditions and disappearing habitat are to blame for the lack of these raptors in our region. Your support of the barn owl at LSNC enables us to raise awareness about and appreciation for her entire species and, equally important, their habitats. To adopt her or any of our other amazing birds of prey, visit our website here and follow the instructions provided.
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"Living & Learning" at LSNC
Our Director of Education and Wildlife, David Clipner, and our Wildlife Husbandry Manager, Tyler Heyen, recently completed an eight-week virtual professional development workshop entitled “Living & Learning with Animals: The Fundamental Principles and Procedures of Teaching and Learning.” This workshop, offered by Dr. Susan Friedman, explores applied behavior analysis, its scientific underpinnings, and successful and ethical training techniques.
David and Tyler are excited to apply what they’ve learned when working with our animals, and to share their knowledge with the rest of our wildlife team.
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We're always looking for new faces to join our dedicated team of wildlife volunteers! As a volunteer, you could help feed and care for our fruit bats, raptors, and the many species of snake, lizard, and frog in our Critter House. You would also have the opportunity to learn from our experienced wildlife staff. From students to retirees, we welcome everyone 18+ with a passion for animals and a commitment to our mission. Fill out the application linked here or send us an email at volunteer@lesliesnc.org to get started.
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Join Us for Animal Haunts
Our annual Halloween celebration, Animal Haunts, will take place on Saturday, October 29 at Leslie Science & Nature Center (1831 Traver Rd). This is a family-friendly, non-spooky, and candy-free event that will feature seasonal crafts, hikes in the woods, and opportunities to learn about nature’s nightlife. Tickets can be purchased here for 7–9 p.m. (our 4–6 p.m. time has sold out).
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The vision of the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and Leslie Science & Nature Center is to create a world where curiosity today leads to more purposeful lives tomorrow. This dream is not possible without support from YOU! Every admission purchased to the Museum, every summer camp booked at Leslie, field trips to either of our sites, and every program in between helps us do what we do.
Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and Leslie Science & Nature Center! A membership is a great gift for your family, and your donation is a gift to our community. Help us support STEM education within our community and beyond!
The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum and Leslie Science & Nature Center
are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
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