Partners for Wildlife (P4W) is centered around communication—creating connections, sharing resources, and building a stronger, more resilient wildlife rehabilitation community. Nothing this year has brought that more to the forefront than the devastating challenge of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI).

Each year, Give to the Max Day represents the largest fundraising event of the year for many nonprofit organizations around Minnesota, and this year is no different. For The Raptor Center (TRC), the support it receives on this day is more vital than ever.

When the first migratory birds hit the skies in spring 2022, trouble came with them. Over the past year in Europe, a deadly disease called highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was circulating and hitched a ride on birds making their spring migration in North America.

In a world of ever-growing human populations and decreasing wild spaces, humans, domestic animals, and wildlife are living closer to each other than ever before.

As clearly witnessed over the past few years with COVID-19 in people and highly pathogenic avian influenza in birds, diseases can cause a wide range of challenges and issues for humans and wildlife alike.

Summer is a time of development for many young raptors in the Midwest, and The Raptor Center (TRC) has been growing alongside them. TRC is excited to introduce several additions to its team of experts.

On Jan. 1, 1974, a northern goshawk suffering from a wing injury after being shot was admitted as the first official patient to The Raptor Center’s (TRC) veterinary clinic.

As the year comes to a close, we have more to be thankful for than ever before. It has been an incredibly challenging year with an unprecedented outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) hitting our wild birds harder than we have ever seen.