Indigenous Birds of Prey Presentation with Ellen Kalish & Justin Wexler
Sun, Aug 11
|Wild Hudson Valley Eco Camp
Wild Hudson Valley is joining forces with Ravensbeard Wildlife Center for a special presentation on indigenous birds of prey! During this program, participants will get to see and learn about five live birds of prey (and an opossum!); all native to this region.


Time & Location
Aug 11, 2024, 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Wild Hudson Valley Eco Camp, 408 Lake Mills Rd, Cairo, NY 12451, USA
About the Event
Wild Hudson Valley is joining forces with Ellen Kalish of Ravensbeard Wildlife Center for a special presentation on indigenous birds of prey! During this program, participants will get to see five live birds of prey (and an opossum!); all native to this region. Ellen will speak on each species’ habitat, distinct features, and how they each came to be with her at the Center. Justin Wexler of Wild Hudson Valley will share about the historical and cultural significance of each species, including the creature's name and associated folklore amongst Northeastern native peoples. Connecting the past to the present, the presenters will talk about how the landscape and ecology has changed in the past several hundred years, and what Lenape people would have seen and experienced here in comparison to the plant and wildlife that surrounds us today.
Advanced registration is required for this event, and space is limited. Proceeds from this event will go to support Ravensbeard Wildlife Center's wildlife rehabilitation of injured, ill and orphaned animals. Admission for this event is inlcuded in an Eco Camp reservation! Book a weekend stay and join for our Friday Night Fire, Saturday morning Foraging Workshop, and this special Sunday program!
About our Presenters:
Ellen J. Kalish is the Founder and Executive Director of Ravensbeard Wildlife Center, a wildlife rehabilitation and educational center that focuses on rescue and release for wild birds. Ravensbeard Wildlife Center is located in Saugerties, New York and has been successfully running as a non-profit organization for the past two decades. Ellen was licensed in 2000 with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and was Federally licensed through the US Fish & Wildlife Service in 2002 to work with migratory birds. In spring of 2017, Ellen accepted the William R. Ginsberg Stewardship Award from the Woodstock Land Conservancy, for her service of rehabilitating and releasing our wild birds back into nature, and for her educational programs with wild, non-releasable birds of prey. Ellen also holds a license for Falconry and Education with live raptors. She served as a board member for New York State Wildlife Rehabilitation Council for 8 years.
A life-long resident of the Hudson Valley, Justin Wexler has devoted his life to sharing his love for the natural world. Obsessed with nature from his earliest years, he has spent most of his life either in the outdoors or in his research on local history and ethnoecology. He has studied local Algonquian languages, history and folklore for over two decades. Justin co-runs Wild Hudson Valley, a forest farm and educational organization that teaches about the rich ecology and history of the region through hands-on programming, guided walks, and overnight Eco Camp stays. Justin is not of native descent, and he strives to respectfully teach about Northeastern native peoples, their land management practices and their history by meticulously examining the historic record and by working with their contemporary federally-recognized communities. He has a BA in History and Anthropology from Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT; a Professional Certificate in Environmental Policy from Bard College and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Bard College.