Hawk is special guest at children’s author event in Simcoe
Audience members were greeted by a feathered guest during a recent presentation by children’s author Jennifer Pool.
Children attending a book reading and signing on April 22 were given the opportunity to engage with Sadie the Hawk from the Canadian Raptor Conservancy in Vittoria.
Sadie’s appearance was part of a presentation by Pool, author of The Enchanted People, who was selected as Norfolk County Public Library’s author of the month for April.
“It’s amazing and I’m really grateful that they thing me, I feel really supported,” said Pool.
Sadie brought Pool’s fairytale character of “Baby Bird” to life.
The hawk was handled by James Cowan, director at the Canadian Raptor Conservancy.
After the book reading and a brief presentation by Cowan, children were given the opportunity to be photographed with Pool holding Sadie.
“It was so fun to see the kids light up, I’m hoping that it will be a warm memory for some of the kids,” said Pool. “You grow up not realizing how special the library is until you’re an adult, it was really great to see them engaged with Sadie and maybe from this experience there will be the next generation of authors here reading their own story book.”
The Canadian Raptor Conservancy has been operated by Cowan and his wife Shauna for about 25 years. The facility has 40 species of birds, some of which have been featured in popular films and television shows.
The conservancy breeds 15 bird species a year, many being endangered. Offspring are sent back into the wild through organized release projects. The conservancy also offers programs such as research, bird rehabilitation programs, and photography sessions.
“Our motto is ‘protect what we know’, so if people know about these birds, they will hopefully want to protect them,” said Cowan.