Forbes Library, Sabadosa to host Birds of Prey event

License wildlife rehabilitator Tom Ricardi is the founder of the Massachusetts Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Facility.
Reminder Publishing file photo

NORTHAMPTON — Local wildlife conservationist Emma Howard and licensed wildlife rehabilitator Tom Ricardi are inviting families and wildlife enthusiasts of all ages to its special outdoor program, “Birds of Prey” on Saturday, June 20, at 2 p.m. on the lawn at the library.

The program is being offered in collaboration with Forbes Library and state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa.

Ricardi, who is also a wildlife biologist and founder of the Massachusetts Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Facility, will provide an engaging and educational presentation, and introduce several live birds of prey, offering audience members an opportunity to see these raptors up close while learning about their behaviors, habitats and important roles in local ecosystems.

“Tom Ricardi has such an amazing reputation, and his programs are always beloved. People really enjoy the live animals and learning so much about these mysterious birds. And then, adding in the component of how we as a society can help protect these birds of prey by thinking about our chemical use. It just feels like an important informational component that we wanted to be involved with,” Forbes Library Director Lisa Downing told Reminder Publishing. “It gives people the opportunity for real, and in some cases, up close contact with birds of prey. It’s really quite special to see the power and grace of these birds and understand how they are part of our ecosystem.”

The event is free, open to the public, and is designed to be family-friendly. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets for comfortable outdoor seating.

Drawing on his decades of experience rescuing and rehabilitating injured wildlife, Ricardi will also share practical information about how community members can help protect birds of prey and other native wildlife. Ricardi has dedicated his career to the rescue, rehabilitation, and conservation of birds of prey, having worked 30 years as a game warden for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife. As founder of the Massachusetts Birds of Prey Rehabilitation Facility, he has educated thousands of people through live wildlife presentations that foster appreciation and stewardship for native wildlife.

“Tom has done a wonderful job for years of bringing the joy of raptors to the community, and Emma will be able to fill in the gaps for audience members, pointing them toward ways to get involved,” said Sabadosa.

Attendees will gain insight into the challenges facing wildlife today and discover simple actions they can take to support conservation efforts in their own neighborhoods.

“We’re hoping this event provides a unique opportunity for people to learn about their local wildlife, the role it plays in our ecosystem, and how they can play a role to better protect and advocate for wildlife by learning directly from one of our region’s experts,” said Howard.

Sabadosa told Reminder Publishing that she wanted to collaborate on this event because she’s been a long supporter of legislation in the State House that would ban the use of second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides, or SGARs, particularly after learning how these poisons enter the food chain and harm so many other animals. She said that she hopes that people will leave the event with a deep appreciation for local wildlife, as well as a clear understanding of the role SGARs are playing in killing foxes, raptors and other animals that eat rodents.

“Recently, a group of constituents came to my office because they, too, were passionate about ending the use of SGARs. During our conversation, we discussed both state and local actions we could take, as well as ways to engage more people in this effort,” said Sabadosa. “It became clear that we needed a public event — something that would raise awareness and inspire action. That was when this idea was born. A group of us came together to plan a family-friendly event where people can enjoy themselves, while also leaving with a better understanding of the issue and concrete ways to advocate for change at both the state and local levels.”

Downing said that starting at 10 a.m. on the same day, the library will host its Summer Reading Kickoff event featuring live music performances on the library’s outdoor stage and family-friendly activities that lead up to the Birds of Prey event. She said that more information on the library’s upcoming program schedule can be found at www.forbeslibrary.org.

“Hosting programs like this is something that we love to do. We love to be a place where people can come and gather, and Rep. Sabadosa has been a champion of this stage project and of libraries throughout her district, but in particular has been really supportive of this stage and what it means in terms of an outdoor gathering space for folks,” said Downing.