About Us
Raptor Education and Rehabilitation
Sardis Raptor Center was founded in 1989 as a non-profit organization, and is dedicated to caring for raptors from all over the Pacific Northwest. Sardis provides education to the public with its "Hunters of the Sky" program, which has appeared throughout the Pacific Northwest and California. The center is well known for its past rehabilitation and current education work, over the years, successfully releasing thousands of birds back to the wild and reaching over one million people in education programs on and off site.
Our Story
Sardis Raptor Center was founded in 1989 as a non-profit 501 C3 organization, by the current executive director, Sharon M. Wolters. In the beginning Sardis was a hospital for all species of wildlife and in 1996, it began to specialize in birds of prey.
Sardis received patients, and gave them the necessary emergency care, including triage, x-rays,and required stabilization. Over the years, some of the birds, whose permanent injuries prevented their release back to the wild, have found a home at Sardis as education ambassadors.
In the fall of 1999 Sardis began to see the need to expand its educational programs and put “HUNTERS OF THE SKY”on the road throughout Washington. Sardis now focuses on education about raptors, much needed by communities, all over the Pacific Northwest.
The educational program,“HUNTERS OF THE SKY” has appeared for scout groups, community clubs and organizations, the National Wildlife Federation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, State of Washington Fish and Wildlife, with many awards, for the Pacific Northwest Washington Fair, the Seattle Pacific Science Center grand opening and other festivals.
Appearances also included assemblies for many of the school districts in Whatcom County. The program has traveled to countless fairs to provide education to large audiences, while being featured in national magazines such as the National Wildlife Federation News, Horizon Magazine from Alaska Airlines, to name a few, and has appeared on television and radio spots all over the state.
The on-site tours of the facility with over twenty birds, including bald eagles, owls, hawks, and falcons is visited year round and is in high demand by all educational organizations.
The breath taking off-site program “HUNTERS OF THE SKY” presents many different birds that are part of the educational programs as well. These magnificent birds of prey range from bald eagles, the peregrine falcon, hawks of Washington, as well as owls from all over the world, including the largest owl of the world, the Eurasian Eagle Owl.
Sardis believes that the education of our communities all over will in turn help other centers to focus on their incredible work of rehabilitation and release of our wild creatures. As we continue to educate, we make people more aware of the delicate balance of our earth and the Sacred Circle of Life.
Avian Influenza
Unfortunately, we have had to close down the rescue and rehab duties of our center, due to the spread of the Bird Flu or Avian Influenza. Because Sardis is a small facility, we do not have the space for a dedicated quarantine building and rather than put all our permanent birds at risk, we chose to shut down this aspect of our center. While we don't have new birds coming in to our center, we still take strict precautions when entering or leaving all enclosures to ensure the continued safety of our birds.
Fortunately for sick raptors, the Wildlife department of the Whatcom Humane Society does have the ability to separate sick birds so we now refer all calls to them. (360-966-8845).
What is the Avian Influenza? Avian Influenza or the bird flu, is a virus carried primarily by water fowl who can be asymptomatic, but readily transmit it to other birds, especially chickens, through droppings. The virus affects the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tract and can cause lack of energy, appetite, and co-ordination as well as loose stool, nasal discharge, and death. Unfortunately the virus is not killed by freezing and can live on surfaces for up to 8 weeks.
If you have birds on your farm or land, or you work with birds in any way, especially chickens or water fowl, we ask that you refrain from visiting our center, in order to keep our birds safe. Thank-you for understanding.