An Experience AwaitsTake a walk on the wild side at Carolina Raptor Center's Raptor Trail. Our eagles, vultures, hawks, and falcons are waiting to say hello. Check out our calendar for weekly event schedules.More...
Creating Wonder In Children And AdultsCatch wonder by the tail with our formal and informal education programs. Children 3 to 93 will delight the science and natural history of 38 raptor species and how they have inspired human invention.More...
Conserving Birds One At A TimeStaff and volunteers at this hidden hospital in the woods treats over 900 injured and orphaned birds a year – more than any other US raptor center. Over 70% are released back into the wild!More...
Giving Is As Easy As 1-2-3Press the easy button by giving online, via phone or through traditional mail. Your passion and engagement fuels our mission every day.More...
Veterinary Education Volunteer Sue Thomasen assists Dave Scott in the surgical suite. Photo by Michele Miller Houck.About this imageTell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn. – Benjamin Franklin Setting the Stage for a Collaborative Learning Environment Few raptor centers in the country handle as many patients as CRC. This high patient load provides an enormous amount of data for future research. It also provides a great environment for learning. High school and college students, adult volunteers and interns, veterinary students, rehabilitators and educators - they all come to CRC to take advantage of the hands-on opportunities we can provide. For several years, CRC has hosted groups of veterinary students from NCSU-College of Veterinary Medicine for a one week veterinary "selective," allowing students to immerse themselves in raptor rehabilitation and medicine at CRC’s rehabilitation center. Why We Do It... Our professional development programs will directly impact a small segment of the population: veterinarians and veterinary students; but the large-scale, indirect impacts of this program are enormous. Veterinarians serve as the bridge between people and animals and are relied upon for their knowledge and expertise in the care of all animals, including wildlife. As human-wildlife interactions continue to grow in number due to increased human populations and decreased land and habitat available to wildlife, it is increasingly important for veterinarians to be skilled in the health and medical care of wildlife. Because the study of raptor medicine can reveal the presence of bio-contaminants such as mercury and pesticides, which can have negative consequences for human health, knowledge of avian health will assist veterinarians with effective public education. Furthermore, as zoonotic diseases such as avian flu and West Nile virus continue to spread and have an impact on the human population, it is crucial that veterinarians have a solid foundation in avian medicine so that they are effectively able to understand these diseases and accurately communicate the potential threats and viable solutions to the general public.
