EUGENE, Ore. (KMTR) -- As the snow continues to melt, the clean up begins and the damage adds up for
Lane County’s non-profit bird rescue,
Cascades Raptor Center.
Wednesday’s spring snowstorm has left the faciltiy with hundreds of dollars in damage to the infrastructure. The center closed from Wednesday through Friday, March 23, 2012.
While none of the birds were hurt, the clean-up is immense and will likely extend for a long period of time.
One fallen tree just missed the center’s outdoor education area. However, it hit a crucial outdoor retaining wall that EWEB volunteers helped put in during a “Day of Service” in the last few years.
When that tree fell, it also pushed the root system through a piece of the parking lot, puffing the ground up and creating a spring in the middle of the lot. Portions of the parking lot remain soggy and hard for cars to drive over.
Another tree came down, leaning on a bird cage. On Friday, March 23, 2012, crews from a Portland tree cutting company came to take that tree down piece by piece. Crews also tackled another tree hanging over a Bald Eagle’s cage.
The Raptor Center says it will have to borrow funds for other things to pay for clean up.
“Well, it's definitely not in the budget, but we just have to make do,” says Louise Shimmel, Executive Director of the Cascades Raptor Center.
Shimmel says the Center has had an extremely good relationship with trees in the past, with many falling right between structures.
“We've been so, so lucky so far - we've never lost a cage or birds or anything but it's a risk that you take living in the woods. I don't want a sterile environment for the birds or for the visitors,” says Shimmel.
Getting the tree work done on Friday was a big deal for the Raptor Center as well, in its quest to reopen.
Damien Carré and his group Oregon Tree Care came to Eugene from Portland to do the work. Originally, Friday was supposed to be a vacation day.
“Be a part of taking care of some really cool birds and you know, it just kind of feels good. I don't know, I like working with the community and whatnot even though it's two hours away from my normal community. But you know, Oregon tree Care was named Oregon Tree Care for a reason. I want to help out all over the state if I can,” says Carré.
Volunteers are also keeping busy, clearing snow and fallen branches off of bird cages.
The Raptor Center has since reopened to the public. On Sunday, March 25, 2012, the group is planning to have a work party to help clean up.
For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page at the following link: http://www.facebook.com/eRaptors.
Cascades Raptor Center’s website can be found at the following link: http://www.eraptors.org/.
