Since the unexpected death of founder and original executive director Sigrid Ueblacker last year, Broomfield`s Birds of Prey Foundation has relented from its mission of rehabilitating and reintroducing predatory birds into the wild only briefly, to memorialize Ueblacker in a ceremony in May.
The nonprofit organization continues to treat an estimated 500 birds per year, with more than 12,000 animals passing through its doors since its founding in 1984. The foundation treats injured and orphaned raptors, such as eagles, hawks and falcons, in its intensive care unit on south 104th Avenue in Broomfield, and rehabilitates, and in some cases provides permanent homes for, birds at the organization`s 29 aviaries.
Saturday, the Birds of Prey Foundation made its local presence felt by putting on a free community education forum at the Broomfield Community Center. The hour-long event, attended by an estimated 200 people, introduced attendees to local predatory birds and offered them the rare opportunity to get up close with raptors.
“It was such a success, I went home feeling really good,” said Irene Lalich, a four-year veteran Birds of Prey volunteer. “(People) embraced us and I hope we can do this every year as a fundraiser.”
The event was free, but donations were welcomed. The foundation, which is run almost entirely by an estimated 70 volunteers, raised more money than it typically charges for a standard demonstration program, Lalich said.
Birds of Prey brought three birds for public viewing Saturday. There was Chuck, the turkey vulture, Sierra, the Swainson`s hawk, and Jacob, the Kestrel. The foundation planned to bring an owl, but the bird wasn`t feeling up to the trip. Broomfield`s Aiden Wiese filled in nicely; the 4-year-old attended the event dressed as a snowy owl.
Lalich, 70, said she hopes Saturday`s event will open more people`s eyes to the presence of the Birds of Prey Foundation in their town.
“If they embrace the Birds of Prey, and for the city of Broomfield to have something so special in your midst … everybody is going to be a winner,” she said.
Lalich said Ueblacker, who died on Oct. 28, 2009, was a “bird whisperer” and irreplaceable, but that the foundation`s staff, volunteers and new executive director, Heidi Bucknam, have carried on with her work, because of their dedication to the helping the birds.
“The volunteers that were heartbroken and wanted to leave when Sigrid died stepped up, because they knew they were here for the birds,” she said. “Heidi has that same dedication and passion that Sigrid did.”
