Photo: Elaine Kung, Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve’s Wildlife Curator and Educator, provides a free raptor encounter with Pearl, their resident Turkey Vulture. Courtesy of Wesselman Woods.
BY PAYTON BROSHEARS
Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve (WWNP), the largest urban old-growth forest in the United States, is home to six non-releasable raptors native to the Southern Indiana bioregion. Our resident raptors include an Eastern Screech-Owl, Barred Owl, Great Horned Owl, Peregrine Falcon, Turkey Vulture, and Bald Eagle. These birds serve as education ambassadors, helping us educate the community about local birds of prey and the importance of preserving our natural environmental for the benefit of wildlife.
Below is our theory of change statement submitted in the original proposal:
If we provide students and the public with immersive, educational raptor encounters at Wesselman Woods Nature Preserve, then they will develop a deeper empathy for the local raptor population and the environment, because direct, hands-on experiences with live raptors enhance engagement, foster understanding, and inspire a lasting appreciation for the ecological systems these birds inhabit
WWNP was awarded $1,200 through the Mumford and Keller grant to help support our raptor encounters. With the support of the Mumford and Keller grant award, Wesselman Woods provided 12 raptor encounters between October 2024 and August 2025. These encounters took place during our free-admission Saturdays and Sundays, community events, and educational programs.
In addition to the 12 programs supported by the grant, WWNP provided 18 other raptor encounters during the grant cycle. Through a total of 30 programs, more than 1,000 individuals had the opportunity to directly engage with one or more of our resident raptors, learning about the birds’ individual needs, as well as the importance of their species within the environment.
Our Wildlife Curator and Education, Elaine Kung, expresses the importance of the Raptor Ambassador Program through her statement:
We want to encourage our community to actively promote the survival of wildlife and wild places. One of our best resources for spreading environmental enthusiasm is the inclusion of live animals in public engagement. In addition to an emotional bond, animal ambassadors also significantly improve the ability to engage cognitive and behavioral development of the participants and enhance information retention.
Funding from this grant helped cover the costs associated with the care, training, and enrichment of our birds, as well as the time and expertise of our Wildlife Curator and education team who facilitated the programs.
Wesselman Woods will continue to provide raptor encounters year-round, as they remain one of our signature education programs for the public. We are hopeful to apply to this grant again to help us support the continuation of this program.
Photos: WWNP educator provides a raptor encounter with their Eastern Screech-Owl, Artemis, at a local school (left). Children learning about Sybil, their Bald Eagle, during a first grade on-site program (right).
Indiana Audubon’s Mumford and Keller program provides funding for natural resource research and projects, with a focus on Indiana’s birdlife. The 2025-2026 cycle closed on Aug. 15, with recipients to be announced soon. Learn more at indianaaudubon.org/mumfordandkeller.
Tags: grant report mumford and keller
