Sharon Audubon raises funds for new facility

SHARON — The Sharon Audubon Center held its annual “Raptors & Riesling” fundraising event on Sunday, May 26. The event ran for about two hours, explained plans for the Audubon’s new facility and culminated in the release of several birds back to the wild.

“Raptors & Rieslings” was held under a large tent near several bird enclosures for patrons to see. There were drinks and waiting staff provided by the Sharon Package Store and J.P. Gifford, and a band played music throughout the event to about 250 attendees.

The majority of the two hours were spent with guests socializing and enjoying the refreshments provided.

Eileen Fielding, host and director of the Sharon Audubon Center, thanked Hudson Sebranek and his fellow Eagle Scouts for their work on the Audubon’s Deer Trail repairing boardwalks along the path. This project, Fielding said, is just one part of the Audubon Center’s ongoing efforts to create healthy habitats for the hundreds of birds the community brings to them each year.

Fielding continued by elaborating on the topic of community, thanking everyone for their generosity and commitment to helping the area’s birds, as well as highlighting the many programs and school trips the Audubon Center hosts.

“As anyone who’s been in our clinic or our teaching spaces can tell you, our programs have outgrown our buildings”, Fielding said.

The Sharon Audubon Center has started a capital project and capital campaign for new facilities that will provide more space for classes and programs, as well as bring the Center’s facilities closer to the organization’s goal of green practices and low emissions. Mock-ups of what the future facility may look like were available for patrons to view.

The evening ended with the release of four birds back into the wild, after their recovery over the last few weeks at the Audubon. Attendees were shown the birds by a handful of staff before they were released and flew off to cheers and applause.

A preliminary version of what the new rehab clinic Matthew Kreta