Director, operations manager, volunteers discuss center’s goals

Since 1972, the California Raptor Center (CRC) has been rehabilitating and releasing injured and orphaned birds for the purposes of education and research.  Each year, hundreds of these predatory birds are brought in; 60 percent are released back into the wild.

On Oct. 17, the center had their fall open house, which showcased the birds, rallied for donations and brought in over 500 people from around the Davis area.

“The greatest satisfaction is hearing from people that [they used to come here as kids], and now they’re bringing their children,” said Michelle Hawkins, the CRC director. “It was so important to them that they brought their kids back.”

Hawkins said that although the program has had many years to expand, the center has kept its primary goals of rehabilitation, education and research in the forefront since its inception 43 years ago.

“From the rehabilitation side, once we have gotten [the birds] the medical care, we want them out [of the vet hospital] as soon as we can,” Hawkins said. “They are high level predators, so when we see problems in their populations we know that there’s a problem in that ecosystem […] and then we can figure out what we can do otherwise, in terms of research to try to […] further improve the health of those animals. Rehabilitation and education are the two primary parts of that mission.”

Hawkins has served as director of CRC for the past three years and has been credited with the program’s recent successes in finding new funding and university outreach. Despite the administrative support provided by the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, the center still has financial goals to meet in order to increase capacity and better the livelihood of the birds.

“There’s a potential [for expansion] and  […] we’ve definitely set our sights on raising the financial support to build a new education center,” Hawkins said. “We want to have bigger facilities, and that potential to expand the volunteer base and the education program as well. The goal would be to heighten awareness and get more people to come to the center. We are definitely research-driven, but we are driven to the benefit of the animal.”

Operations Manager Bret Stedman has been working on the grounds of the Raptor Center for over 23 years. He believes that no matter what the center may look like, it is the mission that keeps the center going strong.

“We’ve made small improvements, [and] do the best with what we have; the place looked pretty sharp [at the open house], and I think people were pretty impressed,” Stedman said. “[The physical facilities] have never been an impediment [when it comes to] the education level [or] rehabilitation. You can be in a beautiful center, but if you don’t really know what you’re doing, you’re not going to be successful in treating [the birds], and you’re not going to provide educational experiences for your volunteers [that make them] come back all the time.”

Stedman depends on the work of more than 50 volunteers each quarter to run the center. The waitlist to be a volunteer gets longer each year, even without direct advertising.

“Some of my best [volunteers] are in unrelated fields; they’re just here because they enjoy it, or [initially] because of curiosity,” Stedman said. “This [center] would be worthless if I didn’t have a good component of volunteers, and they have to be motivated within in order to do that—that’s one of the strengths that we have.”  

One of these volunteers, Jessica Schlarbaum, chose to spend her time at the CRC to get a closer look into wildlife rehabilitation.

“This is probably one of the best hands-on experiences that I’ve ever had,” Schlarbaum said. “It was the reason why I changed my major to wildlife conservation.”

Another volunteer, Billy Thein, has been working at CRC for 20 years, and has enjoyed presenting the birds to the public for multiple open houses.

“As a volunteer, you do everything. That includes feeding, [some] vet treatment and education,” Thein said. “One of the things that’s really special around here—everyone has to do the dirty work, but we get to do the fun stuff too. [These open houses are] one of the [only] times you can come out and see all the birds up close.”

Thein said that working with the raptors is “very hands-on,” and he has picked up on the birds’ many peculiar habits throughout his experience at the center.

“We try our best to get them back, and that is how they’re benefitting; the permanent residents [are benefitting through] education,” Thein said. “We have people that ask, ‘oh, it’s a bird, why should it be in a cage?’ and that’s really anthropomorphizing the bird — we will never know [how they feel]. We can only go by the objective ways we can tell [their level of happiness]—how’s their health; are they eating?”

At the open house, Thein showed his wealth of knowledge by pointing out the birds with particularly fascinating personalities.

“After 20 years, [holding the birds] is so mundane for me […] we try to take them out at least once a week,” Thein said. “They all have their unique quirks. [For some birds] this is their first open house, so they might stay out. Mikey [the Red Shouldered Hawk] is a little butt; he has a time-scale [for being outside]. Spar [the American Kestrel] is pretty photogenic.”

For public outreach, representatives from the School of Veterinary Medicine’s One Health Institute update the website, organize online fundraising campaigns and recognize the needs of the center to improve the life of the rehabilitating and resident birds. October’s open house brought all of these outreach themes together, and included wine and beer tastings as well as spreads donated from Whole Foods.

“People can be counted on to come twice a year, so the stuff that we’re doing is just bells and whistles to elevate it further,” One Health Institute representative Justin Cox said. “The place is definitely headed in a great direction; we’re already doing what the place has been doing, and [the open house] is just some help to get the word out.”

Another health representative for CRC, Desiree Aguiar, said that nowadays, the most important component to keeping the center successful is awareness and outreach.

“I think [the center] is a great example of how getting the word out can really make a difference, and have some real physical results,” said Aguiar.

The center is open Monday to Saturday for school groups and walk-ins, with another open house scheduled for the first Saturday in May. Currently, the center has been focusing on educating the public on rodenticide usage, how it is killing the raptors and how it affects the ecosystem surrounding them. To learn more, get involved in the center or donate to the cause, CRC officials encourage all who are interested to visit their website.

“There’s probably a large cross section of people that don’t know that we’re here,” Stedman said. “We encourage people to […] just drop by and see what [they] think of the facility.”

That time of the year has finally arrived again — the weather is slowly becoming chilly and Halloween and Thanksgiving are rapidly approaching. What better way is there to get ready for the season than making treats for yourself, friends or for fun fall parties? For those who feel candy corn is a little too sugary, here are a few recipes for healthy desserts that won’t break the bank.

Baked Apple Roses

This might not be the easiest recipe, but it is aesthetically pleasing. With this dessert, you’re bound to impress friends and family with your wonderfully artistic skills. Good looking food always seems to taste better anyway.

Ingredients:

-three apples

-two sheets of puff pastry, thawed

-six tablespoons of apricot preserves

-four tablespoons of water

-two tablespoons of lemon juice

-Cinnamon (optional)

-Sugar (optional)

Directions:

1.     Slice the apples in half from top to bottom and remove the stem and core in the center.
2.     Thinly slice the apples, fill up a medium-sized bowl halfway with water and fill the other half with the lemon juice.
3.     Put the sliced apples into the bowl and microwave for about five minutes, or until they are slightly tender. Drain the apples.
4.     Mix the apricot preserves and water together in a bowl.
5.     Roll the puff pastries out with a rolling pin to flatten them out slightly.
6.     Cut each pastry into six equals slices and put apricot preserve mixture onto each slice of pastry.
7.     Place seven to nine apple slices along one half of the pastry slice with the peel side facing out.
8.     Fold the pastry in half to cover the apples.
9.     Roll the pastry and apples from one end to the other.
10.  Place each rose into cupcake molds.
11.  Optional: Sprinkle one to three tablespoons of cinnamon sugar on top.
12.  Place a pan of water on the bottom rack of the oven so the bottom of the pastries don’t burn.
13.  Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.
14.  Optional: For an extra garnish, top with a little bit of powdered sugar and voila!

Frozen “Boo”-nana Pops

If a Halloween party is in your near future, these banana ghost popsicles are the perfect thing to bring. They are cost efficient and time-effective, while also being absolutely adorable!

Ingredients:

-one medium-sized banana

-one cup of low-fat vanilla yogurt

-eight mini semisweet chocolate chips

-four popsicle sticks

Directions:

1.     Cut banana in half lengthwise, then cut again in half to make four quarters.
2.     Insert popsicle sticks into bananas and freeze bananas on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
3.     Dip bananas into the low-fat vanilla yogurt and place them back on the cookie sheet.
4.     Add semisweet chocolate chips onto the bananas for eyes.
5.     Place into the freezer until frozen.

Dark Chocolate Covered Pumpkin Truffles

Here’s another easy recipe that works great for parties. Fall is the season for everything pumpkin flavored: pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin scones, pumpkin pies — you name it. Basically anything pumpkin flavored tastes great in the fall, and these dark chocolate covered pumpkin truffles will taste extra great.

Ingredients:

-one-fourth cup pumpkin puree

-six tablespoons coconut butter, melted completely

-two tablespoons pure maple syrup or raw agave

-one-fourth tablespoon pure vanilla extract

-one-eighth teaspoon cinnamon

-tiny pinch of salt

-Dark chocolate

Directions:

1.     Make sure ingredients are at room-temperature. Mix the pumpkin puree, coconut butter, maple syrup/raw agave, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt together until completely smooth.
2.     Refrigerate for half an hour or until firm enough to roll into balls.
3.     Take small chunks of the mix and roll them into balls with your hands or a mini cookie scoop.
4.     Dip balls into melted dark chocolate, immediately putting them back into the fridge to harden.

Cherry Walnut Fudge

This is another recipe that requires very few ingredients. If you’re a die-hard chocolate lover, this combination of chocolate, cherries and walnuts will never fail to satisfy your craving.

Ingredients:

-12-ounce package semisweet chocolate pieces

-two-thirds cup sweetened condensed milk

-three-fourths cup snipped dried cherries

-three-fourths cup chopped walnuts

-one teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1.     Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
2.     Microwave chocolate pieces and sweetened condensed milk in a medium-sized bowl for one minute and stir. Continue microwaving in 30-second increments until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.
3.     Stir in a half cup of cherries, and a quarter cup of walnuts and the vanilla extract.
4.     Pour mixture on the prepared cookie sheet and spread.
5.     Sprinkle with the remaining quarter cup of cherries and the remaining half cup of walnuts.
6.     Chill for about 30 minutes or until firm. Cut into squares — there’s no way you can fudge it up with this recipe!

Caramel Apple Pie Grape Pops

It’s easy to eat multiple pieces of dessert at one time, but with these grape pops you won’t have that inevitable feeling of guilt that comes with overeating during the holidays. This healthy twist on caramel apples is bound to taste just as good as the original!

Ingredients:

-one bag of fresh grapes

-nine-ounce bag caramels

-eight ounces vanilla Candiquick coating (or vanilla yogurt as a substitute)

-Graham cracker crumbs

-Ground cinnamon

-Toothpicks

Directions:

1.     Line a baking sheet with wax paper and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2.     Wash grapes and pat dry. Spear each grape with a toothpick.
3.     Melt caramels in a microwave safe bowl in 30-second increments until smooth. Holding the end of the toothpick, dip each grape in the melted caramel and place on prepared wax paper.
4.     Place grapes in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, or until the caramel is completely set.
5.     Melt Vanilla Candiquick in tray according to package directions. (Skip this step if using vanilla yogurt).
6.     Hold the end of the toothpick and dip each grape in the Candquick or vanilla yogurt, and allow excess coating to drip off.
7.     Dip the bottom of the grape popper in graham cracker crumbs and sprinkle immediately with cinnamon.

8.     Refrigerate and enjoy. Fall has never tasted so healthy!

Students reveal the most inspirational quote they’ve ever heard

What is the most inspiring thing anyone has ever said to you?

Elijah Pipersburg, third-year public service major:

“‘Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.’ We’ve got a lot of people who are talented, and we’ve got a lot of people putting in work. If you’re somebody who’s not necessarily talented, you can make up for that and even surpass that person who’s talented by working hard.”

William Ramstein, first-year managerial economics major:

“I think that one very inspiring line that I heard was in a Steve Jobs speech at Stanford. One of the things he says, which I find very meaningful but very hard to grasp is, ‘Don’t waste your time living someone else’s life.’ It’s very powerful because it puts you in a position of vulnerability.”

Emily Hoff, third-year English and linguistics double major:

“‘You can only affect your actions, you can’t affect someone else’s actions.’ After I was told that, I was just like, all I have to do is be myself and if I’m happy about what I do, then who cares about anyone else?”

Kendall Larson, third-year English major:

“‘Whether you believe you can or can’t, you’re right.’ Your attitude completely shapes the outcome of a situation, and confidence can entirely change something. I really didn’t know that until I started forcing confidence on myself.”

Andrew Louie, second-year mechanical engineering major:

“‘Be genuine, be inspired.’”

Andrew Kim, fourth-year environmental toxicology major:

“‘C’s get degrees.’”

Sam Truong, second-year electrical engineering major:

“‘Shoot for the stars, ‘cause even if you miss, you’re gonna land on the moon.’ ”

Kevin Krause, first-year biomedical engineering major:

“One thing that jumps out is just, ‘Life is what you make of it.’ It’s an inspiring thing that I try to think about.”

Kiera Thomas, first-year cell biology major:

“‘Not everything that you want to do in life is always achievable.’ You have to be realistic. If you put time into whatever your strength is, then you can execute that well and be great.”

Nick Alonzo, fourth-year statistics major:

“My dad told me, ‘Life is beautiful.’”

Soroush Ghaffarpour, fourth-year neurobiology, physiology and behavior major:

“I live my life with mottos and the current motto that I live by is, ‘In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter.’”

Jess Rudder, graduate student in Agricultural and Resource Economics Department:

“I was applying to graduate school and I was really nervous. I was talking to my dad, and neither of my parents ever went to college, so this whole thing is very beyond them. I was expressing my worry to my dad, and he was just like, ‘You know, I really hope for you that at some point you can just find peace and happiness, that you just find contentment with whatever you’re doing, because this idea of constantly chasing something — that’s really tiring.’”