LEIA CATHELL The Raptor Rehab Facility of Central Arkansas, located in El Paso, Ark., housed various birds of prey with the goal of releasing the birds back into the wild. According to the Raptor Research Foundation, "Hundreds of thousands of wild birds get injured, or emaciated, or just lost from their natal area every year." RRFCA existed to work against that statistic. Sophomore Leia Cathell, a criminal justice major, found the refuge to be a place for her compassionate nature, gentle touch and willingness to serve. Cathell worked at the humane society in 2012 and took an environmental science class over the summer. Already interested in falconry, Cathell asked her teacher if there were any local volunteer opportunities to work with birds of prey. Luckily, RRFCA was less than an hour away and fit Cathell's vision perfectly. Begun in 2003, RRFCA took injured, sick or orphaned birds of prey, including bald eagles, hawks, owls and falcons and released them back into the wild after a period of rehabilitation, according to the Facebook page. In its 10 years of existence, the facility released 800 birds back into the wild. Though the donation-based, non-profit rehabilitation center was not open to the public, it did have "education birds," or birds that the staff took to various programs around the county to educate people about birds of prey. RRFCA was the only facility of its kind in Arkansas. According to Cathell, working with the birds required a tangible patience and peace that communicated trustworthiness to the birds. This was important because if the birds were not comfortable around someone, working with them could be almost impossible. "You need to have a very calm disposition and work well with animals in general," Cathell said. "If you panic, then the bird will panic, and if you're afraid of the bird, then the bird is going to know that." Cathell, who began volunteering at RRCA in the fall, volunteered alongside freshman Dean Oden. Oden had known Cathell for two years prior to beginning their volunteer work together. Tasks that they both did on a regular basis included cleaning up after the birds and feeding them. They often worked with the birds not ready to be released into the wild so that they were used to being handled. Cathell also explained that volunteers were required to have a basic knowledge of the anatomy of a bird so they could better help during the medical examinations of each bird. Cathell and Oden both shared an interest in nursing these injured birds of prey back to health. Ron Paul, the director and founder of RRFCA, spoke highly of Cathell and the work she had done with the facility. "There is a 'knack' to working with raptors," Paul said. "We do provide the training to work with the birds. That is for the safety of the volunteer and the birds. Leia has been a tremendous help to us. She is a valuable asset to RRFCA." Working with birds of prey required more than just the basic training provided at the facility; it required dedication to a challenging job that did not come with a paycheck. "She has a real passion for working and helping the birds, and she works very hard at the facility," Oden said. Cathell wanted to combine her passion for wildlife with her criminal justice degree and become a park ranger. Her work with RRCA birds introduced her to the personality and needs of wildlife, preparing her for the work she ultimately hoped to do as well as teaching her patience and gentleness. Marianna Woodruff Garrett Bender Camille Benning Devin Benson Kristen Betts Kai Bishop Aaron Bissell Olivia Bissell Wesley Bland Derek Bolton Jon Boyd 147
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