Monday, December 14, 2015

International Owl Center

126 Cedar St., Houston, MN
Located just across the Mississippi River from La Crosse, we have the only owl education center in North America, International Owl Center.

This very cool place in Houston, Minnesota has displays, programs, a gift shop and of course live owls. They just opened up this visitor facility in March of 2015 and have big plans for the future.

Presenters Karla and Uhu












During our own visit to the Owl Center we enjoyed a presentation by the Karla Bloem, executive director and the owl ambassador Uhu. I won't give away all the details so you'll enjoy the program yourself.

Uhu, Eurasian Eagle Owl





Uhu, Eurasian eagle owl,  is a member of one of the largest species in the world. Shown here at 5 pounds, they can reach up to 10 pounds, the same size as an eagle.

The center offers a number of programs, you can even arrange an off-site program for your event or group.



Alice, Great Horned Owl








Other owl ambassadors include Alice, a great horned owl, who was injured at a young age. She is now a permanent resident.

You may also want to go their website and view other owls on a live cam, www.InternationalOwlCenter.org .


Educational displays







There are displays throughout the center offering lots of information about owls and how to get involved.



Owl displays














Gourd Owl Tree Decorations










One of my favorite parts was the gift shop. Beautiful, artistic representations of owls. From charms and tree ornaments, purses and t-shirts. The owl decorated gourd ornaments were especially sweet and for under $10.

We were scoping out the owl houses too, now we have to see if we have a good spot for one. We do hear either barred owls or great horned owls in our backyard.

Now that I know what they sound like I'll be able to identify which one and provide them with another nesting option.




New center image for the future




Aviary image for the future
Plans are in the works for a new owl center and aviaries for the many owl ambassadors and research studies. As you may guess donations are always welcome.








MARK YOUR CALENDER

The International Festival of Owls will be celebrating their 14th year, March 4-6, of 2016, in Houston, MN. With visitors from all over the world, you can participate in programs and trips to hear owls, plus partake in contests and actvities. Lots of things for all ages. For more information www.FestivalOfOwls.com























The International Festival of Owls will be celebrating their 14th year, March 4-6, of 2016. With visitors from all over the world you can participate in programs and trips to hear owls, plus contests and awards. Lots of things for all ages. For more information www.FestivalOfOwls.com




1 comment:

  1. We certainly enjoyed our field trip there for one of their open houses.I think you could be owl decorator challenged for their snacks. It is certainly a gem to have in our area.

    ReplyDelete