News Release
For Immediate Release — October 13, 2009
UT Arboretum Society to Hold Annual Owl Prowl October 24
Kathy Strunk (holding owl) and Katie Cottrell of the Clinch River Raptor Center will introduce participants to some native East Tennessee owls on Oct. 24 at the UT Arboretum Owl Prowl.
OAK RIDGE, Tenn. — On Saturday, October 24th, the UT Arboretum Society will present an Owl Prowl at the University of Tennessee Arboretum, 901 S. Illinois Ave. (Hwy 62) in Oak Ridge. At 6:30 p.m., the event will begin with a program presented by the Clinch River Raptor Center featuring owls found in East Tennessee.
Kathy Strunk and Katie Cottrell will bring live birds for display and will give information about their natural history. This is annual event is enjoyed by area residents of all ages. Owls are fascinating and rarely seen creatures. Strunk and Cottrell bring them to you up close and personal.
The Raptor Center was started by John Byrd 24 years ago at Clinton Middle School. Strunk and Cottrell have shared the responsibility as co-directors of the Raptor Center for over twenty years and have given hundreds of programs in East Tennessee on birds of prey.
The initial program will be followed by walks on the grounds of the Arboretum led by Strunk, Cottrell and John Byrd with the goal of hearing some owls. Those wishing not to go on the walks will have an opportunity to stay at the shelter with Kris Brantley and Joyce Dye and visit with the center’s educational owls. Participants are encouraged to bring flashlights if they plan to participate in the “owl prowl.”
The event is free and open to the public, but donations will be gladly accepted for both the UT Arboretum Society and the Clinch River Raptor Center. Membership applications for both organizations will also be available.
The UT Arboretum Society is a 44-year-old non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the objectives and programs of the University of Tennessee Forest Resources Research and Education Center's 250-acre Arboretum Project in Oak Ridge.
For more information on the Owl Prowl or the UT Arboretum Society call 865-483-3571 or log on to www.utarboretumsociety.org.
The UT Arboretum and the Forest Resources and Education Center are outdoor demonstrations and laboratories operated by UT AgResearch, a division of the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. In addition to its agricultural research programs, the UT Institute of Agriculture also provides instruction, research and public service through the UT College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, the UT College of Veterinary Medicine, and UT Extension offices in every county in the state.
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Contacts:
Melanie Staten, UT Arboretum Society, 865-776-8227
Richard Evans, UT Arboretum and the Forest Resources and Education Center, 865-483-3571