Science Café: The Science Of Owls

On May 14. Denise Lewis of Fontenelle Forest will present “The Science Of Owls.”

Denise Lewis is the Director of Programs and resident raptor expert at Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, Nebraska. Denise has worked with birds of prey for 25 years and has shared her passion for these incredible species for 11 years at Fontenelle Forest through educational raptor outreach programs. Denise also oversees the Raptor Woodland Refuge, located next to the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center.

Fontenelle Forest’s Raptor Woodland Refuge is a unique canopy-level exhibit thirty feet above the forest floor. Designed according to the natural habitat of the rescued birds housed within these mews, the Raptor Woodland Refuge is home to over two dozen birds of prey including Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, a Swainson’s Hawk, Ferruginous Hawk, Gyrfalcon, Peregrine Falcon, Eastern Screech Owl, and more. All of the raptors who live at the Forest are non-releasable due to a variety of factors, many involving previous injuries. These birds would not survive on their own and cannot be released.

Some of these non-releasable birds have joined our roster of educational birds for outreach and education programs. These programs allow our staff and volunteers the opportunity to speak to the public about the vital role raptors play in our ecosystem and conservation efforts to protect them for generations to come.