Celebrate the Family Expo
During the Celebrate the Family Expo on September 16, 2023, attendees met feathered friends from the Alabama Wildlife Center (AWC)!
AWC is Alabama’s oldest and largest rehabilitation center. For over 45 years, the center has been dedicated to protecting Alabama’s native wild birds. The nonprofit organization has a dual mission of providing medical and rehabilitative care for Alabama’s injured and orphaned native birds and educating people to heighten awareness and appreciation of Alabama’s native wildlife. AWC provides a variety of services such as a wildlife helpline, educational programs, and a rehabilitation clinic.
AWC is open year-round and welcomes tours. The center is a self-guided tour and comes with free admission upon entry into Oak Mountain State Park. AWC is home to more than 14 educational birds of prey at the main facility along with six species of owls, hawks, and vultures located at Treetop an ADA-friendly elevated boardwalk located a quarter mile hike or less than a 2-minute drive from the Center.
At the main facility, meet Shelby the Bald Eagle, and Atlas the Eurasian Eagle Owl! Have the chance to learn about the various native songbirds and raptors of Alabama from Northern Cardinals to American Robins, Downy Woodpeckers to Chimney Swifts, Red-tailed Hawks to Barn Owls.
Additionally, the main facility has various educational displays and exhibits throughout with informative information. The TV Room features an 85” television with various nature documentaries continuously playing. Additionally, a corner of the TV Room features a Kids Nest where kids can relax and read a variety of children’s books about animals. A quarter mile from the AWC main facility, the Treetop Nature Trail Boardwalk features six enclosures that are detailed with information about each species and their individual stories. Come meet Princess, the albino Turkey Vulture, and Ollie, the Black Vulture and longest resident at AWC.
AWC performs over 500 educational programs each year connecting people to nature and promoting conservation for wildlife and the natural world. The programs are designed to create a greater understanding that each of us is a member of an ecosystem. AWC’s educational mission is focused on building a connection between the people and the wild birds of Alabama and aims to help educate the public on Alabama’s native wild birds and AWC’s role in wildlife conservation. †
Hear more about the work of the Alabama Wildlife Center in this video.
