By Andra Bryan Stefanoni
news@joplinglobe.com
PITTSBURG, Kan. — A couple of dozen cyclists battled wind gusts of up to 30 mph Saturday morning to generate awareness and funding for a program that provides care for injured or imprinted birds of prey.
This was the second year for the Nature Reach Ride, a 10-mile “fun ride” from Gorilla Village on the campus of Pittsburg State University to PSU’s 79-acre nature reserve where the birds of prey are kept year-round.
Nature Reach conducts about 100 to 150 community education programs a year — primarily to classrooms, assemblies and outdoor events — according to Delia Lister, director.
It began in 1985 and for many years included a rehabilitation component, but such a program takes money — about $60,000 annually to cover the director’s salary, a student worker to help care for not just the birds of prey but also the room full of animals housed in the Biology Department on campus, and food and supplies for the animals.
“It takes $2 a day to feed just one of our raptors, such as a red-tailed hawk,” Lister said.
A small percentage of Nature Reach funding comes from program fees; the rest is from PSU and from community members and local businesses who contribute, such as Tailwind Cyclists, Langdon Lane Animal Hospital, and Wheat State Pizza, sponsors of the Saturday event.
Nature Reach is also being recognized this month by Pittsburg’s Meadowbrook Mall, which will donate all change tossed in the mall fountain.
Although the ride itself generates a few hundred dollars, Lister said what’s equally important is generating awareness. Riders were treated to a tour of the nature reserve, recently renovated and home to such raptors as Aurora the bald eagle, Bo the barred owl, Henrietta the Harris hawk, and Hootie the great horned owl.
Some of the riders got to see Marshall Weber, a PSU sophomore and caretaker of the animals, feed the raptors, and ask him questions about their habits, anatomy and lifespan.
That appealed to rider Rosie Fernandez, of Pittsburg, who said participating in the ride appealed to her because of her love for animals.
“This was a great cause and I’m happy to show I care about things like this,” she said. Fernandez and a friend, Katy Flora Lock, of Frontenac, purchased new bikes and began training a few weeks ago especially for the ride — something they had never done before.
“It’s also a great motivator to start getting in shape,” said Lock.
Lister was happy with the turnout and hopes to continue the ride next year.
“The important part is getting the community outdoors, riding their bikes, coming out to see something that they haven’t ever seen before,” Lister said. “A lot of people haven’t ever heard of the Nature Reach program, so this creates awareness.”
