Birds of prey preservation program

Mapp Aviary Education Center is open to the public on Wednesdays from 10 am until 1 pm. Staff-led interpretive programs on Saturdays will continue to be scheduled through the TN State Parks event page. Saturday program hours will be posted within 14 days of the event. Check back regularly for new guided tour times. We cannot accommodate late registrants or walk-up visitors on Saturdays. The educational mission involves engaging elementary school children in the wonders of these majestic birds and to provide a hands-on learning experience that will fundamentally influence their appreciation for nature and encourage interest in the great outdoors.

Applying educational learning in outdoor settings has been thought to be healthy and productive to academic achievement, but recent studies are now providing empirical validation to this premise. The Foundation focuses on preserving these amazing birds of prey. The Southeast has an incredibly rich biodiversity not seen anywhere else in the nation. This 4-hour program allows photographers unencumbered views of 15 different species of birds of prey outside of their enclosures in a natural setting.

Attendees will be able to take photographs of birds in both a static, perching perspective as well as in motion and in flight. The number of photographers is limited to allow for optimum access by all attendees. Guests will enjoy an evening of recognition and appreciation for how these wonderful birds serve as a vital link to the quality and sustainability of our own lives.

Stayed tuned for more information to come on our Fall Fundraising Gala event! This program takes place in the Countess Paolozzi Owl Wood where you will be surrounded by a variety of owl species from around the world, including one of the largest, the Eurasian Eagle-owl. In addition to protecting animals, it is also a matter of gaining areas for wind power that were previously ruled out across the board. Six industrial cameras each hang in a ring on the tower of the wind turbines and, with their wide-angle lenses, cover a field of view of degrees.

In flat terrain they hang about six meters above the ground. If the wind farm is on the edge of the forest or in hilly terrain, it can be 30 meters. They detect objects in a radius of around meters. He works on BirdVision at the community wind farm and assures that misinterpretations almost no longer occur. Two years ago the false positive rate was twelve percent.