AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTER

THE CENTERFOUNDED OUT OF AN ACUTE AWARENESS FOR THE NEED OF AN AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTER IN SOUTH CAROLINA, THE CHARLESTON RAPTOR CENTER WAS FORMALLY INCORPORATED AS A 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION IN SEPTEMBER 1991. THE CENTERS NAME WAS CHANGED TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA CENTER FOR BIRDS OF PREY IN 1995 TO BETTER REFLECT AN EXPANDED SCOPE OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. WITH CONTINUED GROWTH AND REACH, THE AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTER WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2004 AS AN UMBRELLA ORGANIZATION TO ACCOMMODATE DISTINCTIVE EDUCATIONAL, MEDICAL, SCIENTIFIC AND CONSERVATION DISCIPLINES WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. THESE OPERATING DIVISIONS ARE: THE CENTER FOR BIRDS OF PREY; THE AVIAN MEDICAL CENTER; AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA OIL SPILL TREATMENT FACILITY. THE AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTERS MEDICAL CLINIC OPERATES 365 DAYS A YEAR WITH SUPPORT FROM MORE THAN 60 TRAINED AND DEDICATED VOLUNTEER STAFF MEMBERS. THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART MEDICAL FACILITY TREATS MORE THAN 600 INJURED BIRDS OF PREY AND SHOREBIRDS EACH YEAR. SINCE ITS FOUNDING, THE CENTER HAS ADMITTED OVER 7,000 BIRDS FOR TREATMENT AND RELEASE.THE SC OIL SPILL TREATMENT FACILITY IS AMONG THE MOST DISTINCTIVE FACILITIES HOUSED AT THE AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTER. IN 2005 U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE AND SOUTH CAROLINA DNR AWARDED THE CENTER A $1.8 MILLION GRANT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 3,500 SQUARE FOOT FACILITY, WHICH REMAINS THE ONLY PERMANENT OIL SPILL TREATMENT CENTER OF ITS KIND ON THE EASTERN SEABOARD. RESEARCH AND FIELD STUDIES COMBINE WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF THE MEDICAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT THE PROTECTION OF WILD BIRD POPULATIONS AND THEIR HABITAT. THE CENTER HAS LED AND PARTICIPATED IN GROUNDBREAKING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON AVIAN GENETICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS, INCLUDING AN ONGOING STUDY OF ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA SUCH AS THE SWALLOWTAILED KITE. THE CENTERS WORK IS WELL KNOWN IN CONNECTION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS LIKE THE EMERGENCE OF AVIAN VACUOLAR MYELINOPATHY(AVM) AMONG EAGLES AND OTHER BIRDS, AND POISONING FROM UNREGULATED LANDFILL SUBSTANCES.A CITIZEN SCIENCE APPROACH TO A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES ALLOWS THE PUBLIC TO BECOME ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF VITAL ECOLOGICAL ISSUES. CITIZEN-SCIENCE PROGRAMS CARRY THE ADDITIONAL BONUS OF RAISING PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT ECOLOGICAL ISSUES, EDUCATING THE PUBLIC ABOUT SPECIES OF CONCERN AND THEIR ASSOCIATED HABITATS, AND ALLOWING THE PUBLIC TO BECOME ACTIVELY ENGAGED SUPPORTERS OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION. AVIAN MEDICAL CLINICTHE PROFESSIONAL TREATMENT OF INJURED BIRDS IS A SOURCE OF INCOMPARABLE INSIGHT INTO CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, MANY OF WHICH HAVE HUMAN HEALTH IMPLICATIONS. THE AVIAN MEDICAL CLINIC CURRENTLY TREATS MORE THAN 600INJURED RAPTORS AND SHOREBIRDS EACH YEAR, RELEASING THE MAJORITY BACK TO THEIR NATURAL HABITAT. INJURED BIRDS ARE ADMITTED FROM A CONTINUALLY WIDENING GEOGRAPHICAL AREA. ALTHOUGH THE CAUSES OF INJURIES VARY WIDELY, NEARLY ALL ARE HUMAN-RELATED - RANGING FROM GUNSHOT WOUNDS TO COLLISIONS, ELECTRIC SHOCK FROM POWER LINES, AND TOXICITY. THE MEDICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE CENTER OPERATE ON A 365-DAY / 24-HOUR BASIS. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATIONEACH YEAR, THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED IN THE CENTERS SCIENCE AND NATURAL HISTORY BASED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. THE POWER AND BEAUTY OF BIRDS OF PREY CAST THEM AS UNPARALLELED AMBASSADORS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION - EXEMPLIFYING BOTH THE INTELLECTUAL AND ETHICAL ASPECTS OF CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT.DECADES OF PROGRAM EXPERIENCE AND EVALUATIONS CONSISTENTLY PROVIDED FROM EDUCATORS DEMONSTRATE THAT THESE PROGRAMS CAPTURE ATTENTION, ENHANCE RETENTION OF SUBJECT MATERIAL, AND FOSTER A RENEWED ENTHUSIASM FOR LEARNING - ALL OF WHICH CONTRIBUTE TO AN OVERALL IMPROVEMENT IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. THE EXPERIENTIAL PROGRAMS OFFERED BY THE CENTER, WHETHER ONSITE AT THE CENTERS 152 ACRE CAMPUS, OR OFFERED AS OUTREACH IN CLASSROOMS AND OTHER VENUES, PROMOTE AN AWARENESS AND APPRECIATION FOR THE NATURAL WORLD AND OUR RESPECTIVE ROLES AS STEWARDS IN ITS RESERVATION. SC OILED BIRD TREATMENT FACILITYTHE AVIAN CONSERVATION CENTER IS DESIGNATED IN THE USCG AREA CONTINGENCY PLAN AS THE OFFICIAL REPOSITORY FOR OILED BIRDS IN SOUTH CAROLINA AND MAINTAINS SITUATIONAL READINESS IN THIS CRUCIAL ROLE. CONSTRUCTED WITH A GRANT FROM U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE AND SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES, THE CENTERS COMBINED USE AVIANMEDICAL CENTER / SC OILED BIRD TREATMENT FACILITY WAS COMPLETED IN OCTOBER 2007 AND IS THE ONLY PERMANENT AVIAN TREATMENT CENTER OF ITS KIND ON THE EASTERN SEABOARD.THE FACILITY IS DESIGNED AND EQUIPPED TO PROVIDE THE HIGHEST QUALITY MEDICAL CARE AVAILABLE FOR INJURED BIRDS OF PREY AND SHOREBIRDS ON A DAILY BASIS AND AFFORDS THE MOST EFFICIENT RESPONSE POSSIBLE IN THE EVENT OF A CONTAMINANT SPILL AFFECTING NATIVE BIRD POPULATIONS AND THEIR FRAGILE BREEDING HABITATS ALONG THE SOUTH CAROLINA COAST. RESEARCH AND FIELD STUDYRESEARCH AND FIELD STUDIES WORK SYNERGISTICALLY WITH THE CENTERS MEDICAL AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS TO SUPPORT THE PROTECTION OF WILD BIRD POPULATIONS AND THEIR CRITICAL HABITAT AREAS. THE CENTER HAS LED AND PARTICIPATED IN GROUNDBREAKING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INCLUDING AVIAN GENETICS, ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS, AND AN ONGOING STUDY OF ENDANGERED AND THREATENED SPECIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA SUCH AS THE SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. THE CENTERS WORK IS WELL ESTABLISHED IN CONNECTION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS SUCH AS THE EMERGENCE OF AVIAN VACUOLAR MYELINOPATHY (AVM) AMONG EAGLES AND OTHER BIRDS, AND MORTALITY RESULTING FROM UNDER-REGULATED LANDFILL SUBSTANCES. A CITIZEN SCIENCE APPROACH TO A NUMBER OF INITIATIVES RAISES PUBLIC AWARENESS OF VITAL ECOLOGICAL ISSUES AND ENCOURAGES THE PUBLIC TO BECOME ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS TO WILDLIFE CONSERVATION.