A VOICE FOR RAPTORS
Photo by Jackie McNeel
WHAT’S INSIDE... Letters to the Editor......... 3
Taste of Idaho ................14
Health & Fitness.............26
Book ............................... 2
Lifestyle..........................15
Panhandle .....................30
Puzzles & Games ............ 4
Real Estate .....................17
Southwest Idaho............33
Insurance & Finance........ 8
Senior Discounts............18
Honoring Veterans.........11
Travel.............................20
Holiday Happenings.......13
Caregiving ......................22
By Jack McNeel
Janie Veltkamp has a large facility on her property near the south end of Coeur d’Alene Lake designed to care for raptors, also known as birds of prey. This includes eagles and ospreys, hawks and falcons, and owls, among others. “We have a two-fold mission here at Birds of Prey Northwest,” Veltcamp explained. “The primary mission is education with live raptors. The secondary mission is rehabilitation for injured wild raptors. We know we can’t stop the guy that’s shooting eagles, but give us an hour with a third grader and our live birds of prey, and they’ll grow up to be conservationists.” Working with raptors wasn’t in her plans when she started college. She initially received a four-y ear degree in nursing and worked as a nurse. Then she went back to school and earned a master’s degree in biology from Purdue University. She was on her way to medical school but ���volunteered to help with a peregrine falcon release project in Indianapolis. “That’s when I met peregrine falcons, and every thing changed,” she remarked. Her life since about 1993 has largely been devoted to raptor rehabilitation and educating others about the value of these amazing birds. Initially, she volunteered on a peregrine raptor rehabilitation project in Indiana and then helped with several other reintroduction programs. In 10 of the past 25 years, she has helped to reintroduce endangered raptors in various states. Veltcamp moved to Idaho 15 y ears ago to property north of St. Maries. She soon got the required state and federal permits from Idaho and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. When asked how many birds she has worked with, her reply was “thousands.” Asked which species were included in those she has worked with just this spring and summer, she answered, “seven merlins, eight orphaned ospreys, young eagles, red tailed hawks, great horned owls, and kestrels.” In a ty pical y ear, she will rehabilitate 10 to 12 eagles alone. Bald eagles are more common in northern Idaho with its abundance of lakes, which attract bald eagles, but she also receives eagles from other facilities. “We get golden eagles from the Twin Falls area, and I have a peregrine here from Ohio,” she said. “I get many from elsewhere in Idaho, but they may come from all over the country.” The birds she treats and releases are in addition to the educational birds, which can never be released due to injuries preventing them from living in the wild. She presently has 15 such birds, including bald and golden eagles, a peregrine falcon, osprey, goshawks, red tails, pigmy owls, and horned owls. Veltcamp has long desired to establish a facility on the north end of the lake, east of Coeur d’Alene. Her idea is to (Cont’d on pg 32)
SPOKANE, WA
PERMIT NO. 7
PAID
PRESORT STD U.S. POSTAGE