When birds of prey are injured or impacted too much by humans, rehabilitators who care for them are faced with a difficult decision. Unable to survive in the wild, the birds can't return to their natural habitat. If rehabilitators can't find a raptor program, a facility to house these birds and care for them, they're sometimes euthanized.
The Friends of Harrison Bay State Park hopes to give some of those birds a new home and a second chance for life, in a new raptor house enclosure to be built at the park.
But before that the group has to raise $6,000 to build it, said Park Ranger Matthew Vawter.
"We're trying to build this at the entrance to our park, not only so it's accessible for visitors but also so we can use it in educational programs," he said, adding that in the past the park would invite area rehabilitators in for special programming. "We'd be able to do our own programs and house the birds here, so people can see them all of the time."
Tennessee native birds like the red tailed hawk and screech owl are just two of the birds that could be housed there in the future, Vawter said, as the park will receive birds from regional rehabilitators.
"The enclosure would house at least three birds, and of course we want to keep the birds happy and healthy here," he said. "We've wanted this for awhile."
According to the Harrison Bay State Park website, the group has already raised $1,500 thanks to a donation from Volunteer Energy Cooperative.
The park will continue to seek donations to continue funding food for the birds after the enclosure is built.