Baby Hawk Re-Nested With Bucket Truck

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center wildlife staff returned a baby red-tailed hawk back to nature in Shaker Heights today using a bucket truck from the City of Shaker Heights Public Works Department. The hawk fell from its nest and was spotted by a passerby who contacted our Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Program. Rehab staff had been caring for the unharmed bird since June 14.

To return the young hawk to its wild family, Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator Amy LeMonds determined where the bird was found, contacted the homeowners and worked with the City of Shaker Heights on a re-nesting plan. LeMonds fashioned an artificial nest out of a laundry basket, attaching rough matting to the top edges to provide traction for the bird’s talons. Artificial nests are often successful in reuniting a baby bird back with its natural parent caretakers when the original nest cannot be reached or is destroyed. In this case, the hawk nest was beyond the reach of the bucket truck.

This morning, a City of Shaker Heights Public Works Wildlife crew attached the artificial nest to the tree below the natural nest using a ratcheting strap. Wildlife Director Dave Wolf then made the bucket trip back up and placed the baby into the secured basket. The hawk is now reaching ‘branchling’ stage, when it will be hopping from branch to branch, strengthening its muscles and learning to fly, still under the care of mom and dad. The baby appeared to be in great shape after being placed in the basket, almost immediately eating the food supplied by the rehab staff.
The parents have been observed tending to a sibling in the original nest.

Center rehab staff often teaches would-be baby bird “rescuers” to place displaced birds back in their original nests or to use the artificial nest method. For small birds, a milk carton makes an excellent hanging artificial nest.

The nonprofit Lake Erie Nature & Science  relies on donations to fund our Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Program, which provides services at no charge to the public. To donate or for more information, stop by 28728 Wolf Road in Bay Village, call 440-871-2900, email info@lensc.org or visit www.lensc.org online.

These photos provided by the City of Shaker Heights. Visit our Facebook page for a full album of photos!

Veteran Rocky River Teacher Joins Center Staff

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is fortunate to have excellent, experienced instructors leading our education programming and we'll soon add another respected educator to our staff. Veteran teacher Anne Hart will inspire children in our Log Cabin Kindergarten programs starting this fall. Anne spent 15 years teaching Kindergarten in the Rocky River school system, where she also taught Safety Town and Intramurals and served as an instructor for popular enrichment programs like Family Science and Math Nights.
Anne is enthusiastic about her new role. "My family and I have enjoyed the treasures of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center for years. I am so excited and honored to join this wonderful organization,” she told us.

Anne earned a BS in Education from University of Dayton and a Master of Education from Cleveland State, where she specialized in Early Childhood Education. She and her family reside in Bay Village where she is active as a PTA and classroom volunteer, soccer team manager and member of the Family Advisory Council at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital.

Anne takes over Log Cabin Explorers Club and Discoveries from Bev Walborn, who is transitioning to a new role that includes expanding our family and adult programming. Make sure you look for the great new programs Bev is spearheading on pages 5 and 6 of our all new 2010 Fall Program Guide, including a Lake Erie Family Day and a Bay Bicentennial History Hike.

We’re confident both of these experienced, passionate educators will provide the interactive inspiration you’ve come to expect from Lake Erie Nature & Science Center.

Have Your Say On the Huntington Reservation Shoreline Plan

We wanted to share with you/remind you about an opportunity for anyone who loves Huntington Reservation to offer input into the Cleveland Metroparks planning process for the park. The Metroparks will host a public meeting seeking input on the first phase of Huntington Reservation Shoreline Management Plan on Tuesday, June 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Huntington Playhouse in Bay Village.


In a news release, the The Park District said it is "currently preparing a study of the reservation, focusing primarily on the area adjacent to Lake Road, as part of an effort to update Cleveland Metroparks overall master plan."

"Huntington Reservation, particularly the area north of Lake Road, is facing a myriad of challenges over the next several years. These include concerns from both, natural processes (coastal erosion, bluff instability and an influx of invasive species) and human intervention (increased visitation rates, increased need for storm water management and deteriorating infrastructure)."

"With the help of a Coastal Management Assistance Grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Cleveland Metroparks will focus on shore protection, bluff stabilization, ecological restoration, public access, and site and facility improvements."

Huntington Playhouse is a hop and skip from Lake Erie Nature & Science Center on the other side of the park at 28601 Lake Road. For more information on the meeting, call 216-635-3200.

Lake Erie Nature & Science Center is a proud Metroparks Affiliate and independently-funded nonprofit organization.

Rehab Story: Nestling Red-tail Hawk

A fuzzy, young Red-tailed Hawk that fell from a high nest in Greater Cleveland is one of many current animal patients that Lake Erie Nature & Science Center ’s Wildlife Education and Rehabilitation Department is working to return to the wild.

Our rehab staff is coordinating with city local officials to find a way to reunite this nestling hawk with its parents. The nest has been located (with a sibling inside) but it is very high up in the tree. If we’re not able to reach the nest with a bucket truck, we hope to be able to reunite this young bird with its wild parents as a branchling. The bird is almost to this branchling stage, where it leaves the nest, but remains on a nearby branches where mom and dad continue to offer food and to teach their offspring the skills necessary to survive in the wild, including how to hunt.

Red-tailed hawks can fly at 9 weeks but still depend on their parents for food. At 15 weeks, they are capable of being on their own but will continue to hang around parents. They don't actually get their red tail until they are a year old.

Our Rehab has been especially busy in recent weeks… so busy, we haven’t been able to pause and tell many of our stories here. Our Community Relations staff is taking time to shadow us to help keep you posted our busy season activities. So, watch our Blog and Social Media sites for more rehab stories in the coming days and weeks.

Pink Pepto and Dawn Tools In Oiled Wildlife Rehab

How do wildlife rehabbers help birds affected by the oil in the Gulf of Mexico? Pink Pepto and Dawn Detergent are two of the tools. Lake Erie Nature & Science Center Wildlife Director Dave Wolf and Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator Amy LeMonds gave a step by step demonstration of the stabilization and cleaning process yesterday on WKYC-TV Channel 3.

Watch the full segment from yesterday's Good Company program at this this Channel 3 website link.

Wildlife Response to Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

We've had a number of questions to our Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Program about wildlife rehab for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. In fact, Wildlife Rehabilitation Coordinator Amy LeMonds was interviewed for a report on WKYC-Channel 3 this morning.

We're referring callers to Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research of Delaware, an organization leading the wildlife rescue efforts following the Deepwater Horizon incident. Tri-State's oil spill response team has been on the Gulf Coast since the last week in April and is working with their West Coast colleagues, International Bird Rescue Research Center, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to manage the rehabilitation of oiled wildlife.

Farewell and Best Wishes

Staff and friends of Lake Erie Nature & Science Center gathered to say farewell and best wishes to our longtime Director of Development and Community Relations last night. Renee Burslem and her family are relocating to Lake Placid, New York where Renee's husband Scott has accepted a wonderful new job and the whole family will have the opportunity to ski, hike, golf and fish in a beautiful area of the country.

Renee leaves an incredible legacy of achievement here, leading impressive growth in the financial support that fuels the mission of our nonprofit Center. At the goodbye gathering last night, tributes included a proclamation from Bay Village Mayor Debbie Sutherland and "gifts" aimed at Renee's ever-present sense of humor. We know there's another organization in her new home that will benefit from Renee's considerable talents and we're happy to have had her here for 9 years!

Best wishes Renee and family! As the Women's Board said, we'll miss your smiling face!