Congratulations! Rocky Mountain Raptor Program received a 2010 Environmental Stewardship Award from the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners on December 13, 2010.

RMRP receives 2010 Environmental Stewardship Award.  Board Members Steve Johnson, Tom Donnelly, RMRP Executive Director Judy Scherpelz, Board Member Lew Gaiter.

According to the News Release from the Board, the Awards are given to honor the environmental efforts of county residents, businesses, and organizations. Fifty-three awards had been presented since the inception of the Environmental Stewardship Awards in 1995, and five additional Award recipients were honored at the December 13 Board meeting.

The RMRP received the Award for our commitment to community education about raptors and their importance in the natural environment. While RMRP is dedicated to providing the best possible medical care to the raptors that cross our threshold, the organization feels that its educational programs are essential to the future health of our community and the environment. RMRP inspires an appreciation of raptors and the spaces where they live. Our Education Department presents programs to schools, children’s organizations (such as Boy Scouts, Respite Care, and church youth groups) and various adult and family groups (such as wildlife-interest groups, senior living facilities, and libraries). These programs allow more than 11,000 audience members annually to gain knowledge about raptors and conservation and to experience the awe of seeing these birds up close. In addition, the staff and volunteers of RMRP are present in booths at events (such as New WestFest in Fort Collins, CO, the Boulder Creek Festival in Boulder, CO and the Colorado Renaissance Festival in Larkspur, CO) for 50 days of the year. Large numbers of attendees seek out opportunities to see raptors up close and to talk to our knowledgeable staff and volunteers. Such opportunities allow us to connect with the public and to bring our message of conservation and the importance of our natural environment to the attention of many Coloradoans, as well as out-of-state visitors.

The presentations allow the audiences to connect with wildlife, to appreciate the human-animal bond, and to understand their role in stewardship of the natural environment. The American Veterinary Medical Association defines the human-animal bond as “a mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between people and animals that is influenced by behaviors that are essential to the health and well-being of both. This includes, but is not limited to, emotional, psychological, and physical interactions of people, animals, and the environment.” The human-animal bond is much more than the relationship between people and their companion animals. It is the awe and wonder that animals evoke in us. It is learning to admire and honor animals and their natural environment. It is recognizing how animals impact us and how we impact them.

The RMRP is deeply appreciative to the volunteer-citizen Environmental Advisory Board and the Larimer County Board of County Commissioners for their recognition of the importance of the efforts of RMRP to encourage environmental stewardship in Larimer County.