Hello from our New President

One week on the job here at Hawk Mountain Sanctuary and the view from the Education Building is a glorious sunrise, reflecting on a glaze of frozen rain on the pines, with the ridge in the distance. Winter seems to be a quiet time to pause and reflect on the macroview, microview, and the future. 

As I'm learning quickly, the pause might be in the natural ecosystem for winter, but the staff at Hawk Mountain is busy serving the mission of conservation science and education by providing a sanctuary for raptors as well as the many people visiting the site. The programs, both on-site and off-site in classrooms, service-learning, and conservation research and training extend far beyond the borders of the Sanctuary. As a landscape ecologist, I am reminded daily of how borders exist in the minds of humans, but rarely in the patterns of nature.

I'm excited to be planning for the future of Hawk Mountain with the staff, board, volunteers, and you, who are part of the greater HMS community. Please let us know your ideas, questions, and the types of information that you find interesting and necessary in your role as an avian aficionado, advocate, and conservation enthusiast. Our staff will continue to communicate with you about events on the Mountain, on the migration flyways both here and around the world, and the reach of our conservation education and research programs locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. 

Educational researchers say that one of the most important influences on youth that helps them become conservation and sustainability stewards is experiencing nature with trusted adults. This was certainly true for me and is the core of our work at HMS, as we continue to contribute to the "sense of wonder" about birds, landscapes, and understanding the changes that occur in nature due to human and interspecies interactions. 

Thank you for joining us in our efforts in 2017.

Stay tuned for an upcoming podcast Q&A with Geri.