July 4th, Independence, VA

As has been our habit now for at least 4 years running, BRDC set up on the lawn of the Historic 1908 Courthouse to help celebrate the holiday and community spirit.  This year, Eric Harrold and William Roberts joined me for 5 hours of kid-oriented activities, with special attention given to sharing our prized raptor bird parts gifted to us by the Carolina Raptor Center.

These specimens generated quite a bit of conversation, grabbing the attention of young and old alike.  Of special interest was the comparison made between hawk and owl wings.  The owls have specialized barbs on the leading edge of their wings to muffle the sound of flight.  Given that most owls hunt at night, the element of surprise needs this extra help.  The hawks do not have this feature.

We also provided nests, seeds and seed pods, a small variety of mammal skulls and other found objects for the kids to draw.  Laid out on that table were all types of art tools, including pads...for this activity.  Not many kids chose to draw from our models, but many did draw and had a bunch of fun.

BRDC considers the value of being in the public eye to be well worth the effort.  It is good to stay connected with the community and show others what and who we are.  But, mostly, it is just fun to spend time with the kids, many of whom are here only in the summer visiting grandparents, and have become repeat 'customers'.  We wouldn't want to let them down, now would we?

Off and on we were joined by Deb Greif, Rick Cavey, Aaron Floyd, Sarah Osborne, Joyce Rouse and David Haushlohner, all associated with BRDC on a committed level.

Scott Jackson-Ricketts