If you haven't heard the news, we have a new member of the GWDC family! Jordan, a juvenile female bald eagle, arrived here in September. Jordan was brought to the Montana Raptor Conservation Center in Bozeman by a citizen who spotted the downed eagle in a snow pile north of Belgrade last December. She was unresponsive for several days. After being given hydration fluids and antibiotics she began to regain her strength. She tested positive for lead poisoning and underwent five rounds of chelation therapy, a medical procedure administered to remove heavy metals from the body. She does have neurological damage, and while she can fly to some degree Jordan will never be strong enough to fend for herself in the wild. We are happy to provide a home for her at the Center. Jordan will not be on public display immediately as we will take the winter to evaluate her and see how she copes with her limitations. Bald Eagles do not develop their distinctive white heads until they are between 4 and 5 years old. She is named for Seth Jordan, a former US marine helicopter pilot who served two tours in Afghanistan. 

'Tis the season to celebrate Christmas for Critters! For the month of December, we are welcoming special gifts for the animals here at the Center. Bring in your donation and receive $1.25 off a regular adult admission and 10% off any gift shop purchase! Some items on our Wish List: any frozen fruit; preserves; extra-large Kong dog toys; various sizes of PVC pipe; gift cards to Westmart, Marketplace and Food Roundup; and spices, nuts and dried fruit. ALL the animals (and humans) here at the Center appreciate your contributions!  

Akela

Stay tuned and we'll keep you posted on the reason we're all here - the animals! Every issue of our email newsletter will have updates on the animals, and we will still be sending quarterly newsletters through the mail. We hope you'll follow our progress keep an eye on the animals, and please come visit us soon.

In November, two naturalists from our Education Department attended the National Association for Interpretation (NAI) National Workshop in Denver. This five-day workshop is conducted annually. Professionals from all over the world attend the conference which features presentations and learning opportunities for interpreters, managers, planners, and media creators. Our staff is refreshed and inspired, and they have lots of new ideas about how we can improve and add to our current program collection! 

While in Denver for the NAI conference, one of our staff members went to the Denver Zoo. For those of you who don't know, when grizzly bear Spirit was removed from the wild, she had one surviving cub; her other cub had been hit by a car. When Spirit arrived at the Center in 2002, her cub was sent to the Denver Zoo where he remains today! Check out the beautiful pictures of Spirit's cub Kootenai!  

Kootenai, Denver Zoo

If you're interested in visiting the GWDC with your family or with your students, or if you'd like to sponsor a Teaching Trunk or outreach program, let us know. If you're within driving distance of the Center, one of the naturalists can visit your school for special assemblies, programs or activities. As you know, some of our birds of prey can travel for such programs as can our large collection of wolf and bear artifacts. We are currently adding materials to our Teaching Trunks, and adding programs to our roster. We will customize the program or the Teaching Trunk for your group and areas of special interest.