Coben Scott
On Sept. 12, El Paso County hosted their 16th annual Happy Trails Barbecue at the Bear Creek County Park Nature Center. This event was a gathering of employees from each nature center, county workers, county commissioners, volunteers and the community.
This event is the largest fundraiser for the county nature centers and highlights the efforts of the many volunteers who spend their time creating a welcoming and educational space, as well as the donors of the county who keep the nature centers, along with their many programs, operating.
The star of the show, however, was a Great Horned Owl rescued by the Bear Creek Nature Center. Jessica Miller of the Fountain Creek Nature Center said the owl was found out of its nest and far enough away for the naturalists of the center to be concerned. The Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center rehabilitated the owl with a goal to release it. This day was the day the owl would be released into the wild from the park, close to where it was found in the woods.
The observers enjoyed food from local restaurants and a silent art auction from local artists. Roamer Ransom played live music to the outdoor crowd. Young volunteers operated tables filled with bird facts. By the time of the owl release, everyone gathered outside around the rehabilitation handlers and previous volunteer, Jim Mariner, to watch Mariner send the bird back into the woods. As it began to fly away, the heavy wings were the only sound before the clapping of the crowd.
A volunteer from The Nature and Wildlife Discovery Center is showing off the owl the center rehabilitated before the owl is set free!
Jim Mariner gets ready to release the owl back into the wild!
