AWC introduces chamber to educational ambassadors

After more than 20 years of presentations around the county, County Manager Alex Dudchock said his goal is to keep things interesting. He aims to change up the topic whenever speaking to a group, and on Thursday, he brought along a few friends to help out.

Dudchock addressed the South Shelby Chamber of Commerce at its March 1 luncheon, and following a brief presentation regarding county finances and a plan to build strategic partnerships, Dudchock welcomed Alabama Wildlife Center representatives to the microphone.

Scottie Jackson, director of education and outreach for the AWC, and Lauren Muncher, brought out a few raptors to give luncheon attendees a glimpse of their educational programs.

As Muncher, education program coordinator for AWC, toured the raptors around the room, Jackson described each of the birds of prey and explained how they came to be treated at AWC. All five birds serve as educational ambassadors for AWC, meaning they are used in programs to educate the community on conservation, heighten awareness and increase appreciation of Alabama wildlife.

The AWC brought along an American kestrel named Legacy, a barn owl, a barred owl named Coosa, a red-tailed hawk and a Eurasian eagle owl.

In addition to those raptors, they made a presentation on the newest addition to AWC — an approximately 2-year-old bald eagle. The female eagle, who is 13 pounds and has an 8-foot wingspan, will take up residence in the center’s newly built mew, a large enclosure.

Right now, she does not have the “traditional” white head and tail that people associate with bald eagles, Jackson said, but over the years she will develop that look. It takes about five years for bald eagles to end up in that color plumage, she said.

“This will be a really amazing thing that I think the people of Shelby County will believe in and take ownership of because they’ll be able to watch that change,” Jackson said.

This particular bald eagle was struck by a car, resulting in an injury to her left eye. This leads to an issue with depth perception, which can make it difficult to target her food.

“She still does a wonderful job or hitting her perches. She does a great job of navigating an enclosure in captivity. She is fully flighted, which we’re very excited about, but she is not capable of pouncing on her food and grasping it,” Jackson said. “So instead, she gets all of her dinner served on a plate, so it works out quite well for her.”

The new enclosure, which will house the bald eagle and Eurasian eagle owl, is set to open in a few months.

Assets such as the Alabama Wildlife Center, Dudchock said, are important to the county. They bring in tourists, promote “clean industry” and provide education, which are all highlights for the area, he said. He looks forward to seeing the AWC’s continued growth and expanded outreach.

Also in his presentation, Dudchock discussed the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. The economic indicators for the year are “encouraging,” he said, and the county has seen growth from fiscal year 2017 in many areas of revenue. The areas where it saw a decrease from last year — water services and the Talladega Shelby Water Treatment Plant — were expected, he said, as last year’s revenues were influenced by the drought.

Dudchock also said the county is planning a new assessment, which will help build strategic partnerships. The assessment will look at 18 agencies currently receiving contract funding from the county.

“It’s just how do we help them and help others to serve greater demands in some areas, and in some areas decreasing demands,” Dudchock said.