By MITCHELLE STEPHENSON, For The Capital
The Carrie Weedon Science Center in Galesville is housed in the hamlet's former elementary school.
While the children of Galesville now attend Lothian Elementary, the facility is still used as a place for learning. The foundation that runs the school offers field trips so that area students can have hands-on science training. In addition, they offer speakers so that area residents can learn more about the ecology of our region.
On Sunday, Colleen Sabo, a resident of Friendship and a raptor specialist at the Watkins Nature Center in Prince George's County was the guest speaker.
Colleen brought three live owls: a screech owl, a barn owl, and a great horned owl, to her talk, "Birds of Prey." All three birds are residents at the Watkins center, and all three were injured in the wild. While the birds have been rehabilitated, they are unable to return to the wild because of the severity of their injuries - either they can't fly or their vision has been damaged. In all the center has 13 birds of prey.
The talk attracted 55 people and was held in a small classroom. Of those, about half were elementary-aged children. As the talk got under way, others trickled in. A few minutes into the presentation, the space was standing room only.
Colleen began by talking about the features of raptors. She explained that they eat live prey, and that owls are nocturnal predators, while hawks do their hunting in the daytime.
It didn't take long before she took the first owl out of the dog crate, which is how she ferries them from the nature center to schools and events. The screech owl is a relatively small owl. This particular bird had been hit by a car, and was left blind in one eye.
The bird had a jess, or leather harness, around each of his feet. The jess was then attached to a dog leash. Colleen donned elbow-high Kevlar gloves.
"These are wild animals and they are very difficult to handle," Colleen explained. "They have sharp talons and sharp beaks," she said.
She talked about the loss of habitat, and other dangers to owls, which include not only cars, but also high-voltage power lines.
Colleen explained that while a human has a range of about 180 degrees, an owl can turn its head 270 degrees. "The owl needs to turn its head because its eyes are permanently fixed straight ahead," Colleen said. "That is why they get hit by cars so often, they don't see them coming," she continued.
"Don't owls sleep during the day?" Nikki Merton, 10, asked, wondering why the birds were awake.
Colleen joked that these owls have day jobs. "But yes, owls are nocturnal," she said.
Next she brought out a barn owl with a broken wing. The owl has been with the Watkins nature center for eight years. Colleen explained that barn owls have all but disappeared from Anne Arundel and Calvert counties because their habitats are threatened. But, she explained, a recent movement to save historic barns might help to save barn owls as well.
Next, Colleen brought out a great horned owl. He had also been hit by a car, and had been to three rehabilitators before coming to Watkins. She reported that a great horned owl can take down a rabbit, cat or even a small dog. They eat their prey whole and then regurgitate the bones and fur in little pellets. She passed around a specimen of the pellet.
"I thought it was very interesting. I liked the screech owl. He was so tiny and so cute," said Arielle Hall, 9, of Lothian.
Arielle and her brother Dane came to the talk with their mother. They'd received a flyer in their backpack from school, as did all elementary-age students in south county public schools.
Next up in the speaker series at Carrie Weedon Science Center is a "Reptiles and Amphibians" talk at 7 p.m. April 8. Then in May, they will host a program on honey bees. The date for that talk will be announced online at www.carrieweedon.org.
The Shady Side Centenary United Methodist Church is offering handmade Easter eggs for sale and orders are being taken now. Merchants in the area have volunteered to distribute the eggs, including the Shady Side Market and Renno's Market. The very popular quarter-pound chocolate covered eggs are available in four cream flavors: butter cream, chocolate, coconut and peanut butter. They are handmade by members of the church using a family recipe handed down through generations. They sell for $2 each. Call 410-867-9567 to place an order.
An evening program on going green will be held at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Shady Side. "Conservation-Going Green" will be discussed by Julie Erickson at the Capt. Salem Avery House Museum,
1418 E. W. Shady Side Road. The program is free and open to the public. Coffee, tea, and desserts will be provided. Reserve a spot by calling 410-867-4486.
On Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, the Southern High School music booster club will have a Super Yard Sale at the school, 4400 Solomons Island Road in Harwood. They still have open spots for those who want to purchase a space to sell their merchandise. There will be refreshments for sale. E-mail katey_b@hotmail.com for more information.
The Cummings-Behlke Unit of the American Legion is sponsoring a turkey and all the trimmings dinner followed by silent auction, cake wheel and DJ from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday at the Mayo Post, 830 Mayo Road. The event will benefit the Nancy Mulligan Memorial Scholarship to be awarded to a high school senior who will be continuing his or her education in a field that will benefit children. The cost is $10 per person. Call 410-562-4848 for information.
Starting at noon this Sunday and running for the next three Sundays, the Kiwanis Club of Shady Side will be hosting a series of Turkey Shoots at the Shady Side Kiwanis Club, located at 1431 Snug Harbor Road. For more information, call 410-867-2599.
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