Carolina Raptor Center

Carolina Raptor Center ignites imaginations and inspires engagement in the natural world through the exploration and rehabilitation of birds of prey.

Today, the 3/4 mile Raptor Trail is an educational visitor attraction that displays over 30 different species of raptors in Latta Nature Preserve. The new Quest facility scheduled to go online this year will include a 200-seat amphitheater, 39 aviaries housing one of the largest collections of birds of prey in the country and a 13,000 square foot county-owned environmental education center. The Jim Arthur Raptor Medical Center treats over 900 raptors a year, releasing almost 70% of the birds that live for the first 24 hours back into the wild.

Every year, more than 67,000 people visit us or participate in our education programs, and over half a million engage with us through media like Avian Home Adventures, #EarthOptimismCLT and our raptor rehab blog.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 - SPECIFIC NEEDS:

The impact of COVID-19 on our organization began in early March when CMS cancelled all field trips and visits to schools by outside education providers. The March 24 stay at home order by Governor Cooper, closed down our Visitor Trail and we had to stop taking patients and reduce our on-site staff to a skeleton crew to ensure their safety. Education programs and visitor admission fees account for approximately 1/3 of our overall revenue each year.

WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW:
While we were able to open in July to the public, admissions and program revenue remains low as people follow directives to stay home and/or social distance.

WHAT WE NEED RIGHT NOW:
Our radiograph machine died a couple of weeks ago, and we were forced to make a $17,000 purchase during this fiscally tight year. This critical piece of diagnostic equipment is the single most important tool we have outside of our staff for treating the rescue birds, and maintaining the health of our resident birds. We are asking the community to help us pay for this essential tool.