Discover The Fastest Bird On Earth At The EcoTarium
Traveling exhibit tells the story of a falcon back from the brink of extinction
MEDIA CONTACT: Sally Anne Giedrys
Communications Manager
sgiedrys@ecotarium.org
(508) 929-2738
(WORCESTER, MA)— The fastest bird on Earth— and a powerful example of what we can do to protect our planet— the peregrine falcon is woven into the very fabric of human history. The Peregrine Falcon: Return of an Endangered Species, a traveling exhibit opening at the EcoTarium on Friday, September 24, recounts this bird's amazing journey from revered symbol to restored species.
The ancient Egyptians saw them as representations of gods. They were messengers to the Native American Cree, guardian spirits to the Inca, and a symbol of someone on a quest to medieval Europeans. Since early in our history, people have been fascinated by the falcon— using their image to symbolize strength, freedom and even evil.
The Peregrine Falcon: Return of an Endangered Species chronicles this majestic bird of prey from its biology to its history, to the brink of extinction and back again. United States Fish and Wildlife Service studies in the 1930s and 1940s estimated there were approximately 500 breeding pairs of peregrines in the eastern United States and about 1,000 in the West and Mexico. But just 30 years later, their numbers experienced a rapid decline, practically eliminating the species from the country.
Thanks to restrictions on use of the pesticide DDT, protections under the Endangered Species Act and efforts to breed and release chicks through a process referred to as "hacking", today the species is in recovery. In fact, successful nesting efforts have happened right here in Worcester.
Visitors can view the old and new homes of baby peregrines, from a model of the cliff nests historically used by these birds to an actual "hack box" used to reintroduce captive-raised chicks into the wild. Kids can find out what it really means to "eat like a bird" and compare their wingspans to that of falcons, kestrals, hawks, owls and more.
"The peregrine falcon is a fascinating case study of how people's actions can affect other animals in the environment— positively and negatively," says EcoTarium Manager of Exhibits Betsy Loring. "This exhibit, like many of the those that have been part of the EcoTarium's new changing exhibits program, provides an in-depth look at animals that most people never see up close."
The Peregrine Falcon: Return of an Endangered Species, developed by the Bell Museum of Natural History in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is at the EcoTarium on a limited engagement through January 2, 2005. The exhibit can be viewed free with museum admission.
EcoTarium is an indoor-outdoor museum dedicated to exploring the natural world. The museum offers three floors of interactive exhibits, wildlife habitats, interpretive nature trails, ponds, an award-winning meadow, a planetarium, and a narrow-gauge railroad. The museum, located at 222 Harrington Way in Worcester, Mass., is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays 12 to 5 p.m. Open selected Monday holidays and Mondays during school vacation weeks. Admission is $8 for adults and $6 for seniors, college students and children ages 3-18. Free parking is available. For information, please call (508) 929-2700 or email info@ecotarium.org.