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The Raptor Trust
Ever wonder what happens to
wild birds that become injured or orphaned?
I
did until Donna suggested we take our children to The Raptor Trust. Located on 16 acres of woods and meadows just 15
minutes south of Morristown, The Raptor Trust is a privately funded wild
bird rehabilitation center --
a wild bird hospital.
Their goal is to
care for injured and orphaned wild birds (fixing their broken bones,
healing their injuries and raising them, if they are orphaned) with the
aim of releasing them back into the wild.
Established in 1982 as a non-profit corporation and given
tax-exempt status in 1983, The Raptor Trust is supported solely through
donations and grants. It is open to the public, who may visit and see
un-releasable eagles, hawks, falcons and owls in large aviaries.
The Raptor Trust is also an education center committed to teaching the
public about wild birds and the living world we share with them.
Two certified teachers present environmental education lessons and
programs to schools, scouts, nature clubs and other interested groups
either at The Raptor Trust’s classroom or at outreach sites throughout
the state.
TRT is the result of one man’s passion for helping injured birds. In 1968, Leonard J. Soucy bought a home on 14 acres adjacent
to The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Millington, NJ.
With the help of his family he began caring for injured raptors in
his spare time, right out of his backyard.
Word of his work spread and now, thirty years later, The Raptor
Trust is one of the premier, privately funded wild bird rehabilitation
centers in the United States.
Its greatest contribution may be in setting an example of humane treatment
to wildlife. Over the
last ten years, TRT has cared for over 30,000 wild birds of about 150
species. The center
specializes in the care of raptors, which are birds of prey: hawks,
falcons, eagles and owls. On
our visit, we walked amongst many of the 70 outside aviaries where the
Trust’s 100 resident, un-releasable raptors live.
These custom-built cages are set in a forest under a canopy of
leaves and branches. We saw
Great horned owls, Barn owls, Screech owls, Red-tailed hawks,
Sharp-shinned hawks and Turkey vultures, among others.
There was an enthusiastic staff available to answer our questions.
Open seven days a week, all year round, TRT presents a rare opportunity to
see a wide variety of birds. There
is no charge, but a modest donation of $2 per adult is suggested.
As we drove home in the car that day, our children enthusiastically agreed
it was a great trip. Most of
all, they were happy to know there was a place for injured birds to get
well and return home to the wild.
The Raptor Trust
1390 White Bridge Road
Millington, NJ 07946
908-647-2353
DIRECTIONS
TO THE RAPTOR TRUST
From
Route 287 North or South
Exit
30 A. Exit
ramp is one way to the right onto North
Maple Avenue. Follow N.
Maple for a mile and a half, then bear left at fork onto South
Maple Avenue. Stay on S.
Maple for about a mile, then turn left onto Lord Stirling Road . Follow
Lord Stirling for a mile and a
half and cross the bridge. The
road name changes here to White
Bridge Road.
Visitors:
Park at the third house on the left after the bridge.
Watch for Visitor’s Parking and Education Center signs.
Bird
admitting: Park at the fourth house on the left in the small lot.
Watch for Bird Admitting sign
From Route 22
Take
Watchung Avenue Exit (in North
Plainfield). Follow Watchung
Ave. to circle. Go half
way around circle and follow Stirling
/ VA Hospital sign.
Take Stirling Road to its
end, and at the light turn left onto Valley
Road. At the second
traffic light turn right onto Main
Avenue. Follow thru town,
over railroad tracks (now Main
becomes Central Avenue), up
the hill and through the 4-way (crossing Long
Hill Rd). As you
start downhill, bear right onto Pleasant
Plains Road. Take this
about a mile to a stop sign. There
turn left onto White Bridge Road.
Visitors: Park at the third house on right.
Watch for Visitor’s parking and
Education Center signs.
Bird
admitting: Park at the second house on the right.
Heading West on
Route 78
Exit 36 (Warrenville / Basking Ridge).
Turn
right off the ramp (toward Basking Ridge).
Go 1.1 mi. and turn right at
the white church (there is a separate lane so you can avoid the light)
onto Rt. 512/Valley Road.
Go to the next light and turn left onto Main
Avenue. Follow thru town, over railroad tracks (now Main becomes Central
Avenue), up the hill and across the intersection of Long
Hill Road. As you start
downhill, bear right onto Pleasant
Plains Road. Follow this
for about a mile to a stop sign. There
turn left onto White Bridge Road.
Heading
East on Route 78
Exit 36 (Warrenville/Basking Ridge)
Turn left off the ramp (toward Basking Ridge). Go 1.1 mi. and turn right
at the white church (onto Rt. 512/Valley Road) and then follow the
directions above.
Visitors: Park at the third house on the right.
Watch for Visitor’s
parking and Education Center signs.
Bird admitting: Park at the
second house on the right. Watch for Bird admitting sign.
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TRT is
the result of one man’s passion for helping injured birds.
Its
greatest contribution may be in setting an example of humane treatment to
wildlife.
We walked amongst many of the 70 outside aviaries where the Trust’s 100
resident, un-releasable raptors live.
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