By Amanda Kingston-Beetle, Houston Audubon Member
I was lucky to grow up with my mother, a birder, who tried to instill that love of birds and the outdoors into me and my sisters. But it wasn’t until my late twenties that I became interested in birds and started to share that affinity with my mother, sisters, and now even my husband and daughter. A little over a year ago, while searching for outdoor activities to share with my busy toddler, I happened upon the Houston Audubon Raptor and Education Center. The grounds are beautiful. We love walking around the quiet space and getting to see such incredible birds up close. On our very first visit, we had the good fortune to meet Education Director Mary Anne Morris, who was so engaging and warm that my daughter soon felt at home. We have not missed our weekly visit more than a handful of times since.
My daughter formed a special attachment with the opossum, Miss Violet Pickles, and got to help make Miss Pickles’ breakfast and feed the sweet opossum on Friday mornings. I cannot express how much the Raptor Center making my daughter an official “volunteer” has helped her confidence to grow. She now looks forward to visiting her snake friends (of which she has no fear) and checking on her owls, birds, and turtle. Identifying the curiosity that my daughter has for nature, Mary Anne recommended that we sign up for the Fledgling Friends Class at Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary. Miss Vicki, the instructor, is so patient and animated that not only is she able to keep a room of 3-5 year olds from descending into chaos, but teaches them valuable information using real vocabulary every week.
We have been so inspired by the people and encounters that we have had with Houston Audubon that we intend to make our home a Certified Wildlife Habitat. I would encourage anyone with an interest in birds or the outdoors to make a trip to the Raptor Center or Edith L. Moore Sanctuary. I can never hope to attain the mastery of Texas wildlife that the people who run these magical places have, but I am so fortunate to know and learn from them.
This article was featured in The Warbler, Houston Audubon’s annual spring newsletter.
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