Powder Valley Nature Center invites the public to annual An Evening with Raptors event Feb. 27

KIRKWOOD, Mo—Bird buffs, falcon fanciers, and anyone enraptured by raptors is invited to meet the objects of their admiration during this year’s An Evening with Raptors event in Kirkwood

The annual An Evening with Raptors Program, hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center, will be held again this year on Friday, Feb. 27 from 7-9 p.m.  The event is free and is open to ages six and up. 

It’s the ultimate partnership between man and bird.  The sport of falconry goes back thousands of years, and you can learn about it at the An Evening with Raptors Program. 

“Join us at Powder Valley to meet Missouri falconers and their hunting partners, including red-tailed hawks, peregrine and other falcons, and a goshawk,” said MDC Assistant Nature Center Manager, Robyn Parker.   “The falconers will offer a rare chance to observe and learn about these fascinating feathered hunters,” she added.

After an auditorium presentation on the sport of falconry, the falconers will display their tools, hoods, and other equipment, as well as live birds – the same birds that they use in their sport. Participants can ask the falconry team questions and view the birds up close in the classrooms.

“They will also explain how those interested can get started in this age-old sport themselves,” Parker said.

Falconry is the art of training raptors—birds of prey like hawks and falcons—to capture wild game, so that bird and trainer essentially become hunting partners. The use of falconry can be traced back to 700 B.C.E., and by some accounts even farther back in time. 

The nature center doors will open at 6 p.m.  From 6 - 7 p.m., visitors can tour the exhibits, meet members of the Powder Valley naturalist team, and learn about Missouri's birds of prey at educational tables. They can also create a take-home bird of prey craft.

The auditorium presentation will begin at 7 p.m., and at 7:30 p.m. visitors can meet the falconers in the classrooms and see their hunting partner birds up-close.

An Evening with Raptors is a free event, but advanced registration for each participant is required at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/owg.

Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center is located at 11715 Cragwold Road in Kirkwood, near the intersection of I-270 and I-44. 

Sign up for email or text alerts to stay informed of MDC’s latest programs and events by going to  https://short.mdc.mo.gov/ZoP.

MDC is committed to accessibility at all its nature centers, regional facilities, and conservation areas. To request an ADA accommodation for participation in MDC programs, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/accessibility.