The Ohio Bird Sanctuary
The Ohio Bird Sanctuary is a 501(3) non-profit organization which is dedicated to the rehabilitation of Ohio's native birds of prey and songbirds, with an emphasis on educating the community about conservation of our natural resources.
The Bird Sanctuary is open to the public and encompasses over 90 acres including; hiking trails, live bird of prey displays, and a walk-through songbird aviary. Visitors can purchase a small cup of meal worms in the Visitor Center and hand feed the aviary residents.
Our Mission
The mission of the Ohio Bird Sanctuary is to preserve the biodiversity of Ohio through education, rehabilitation, and stewardship. The Sanctuary strives to fulfill this mission by:
Inspiring individuals to be good stewards of the natural environment.
Creating an opportunity for all people to experience the wonders of nature.
Providing humane and professional care for Ohio's native bird species.
Education is the cornerstone of the Sanctuary's mission. During the school year over 20,000 individuals attend programs presented throughout Ohio and at the facility. In addition to the school curriculum, the Sanctuary also offers other learning opportunities. On weekends we offer programs such as Junior Naturalist, Creatures of the Night, Christmas for the Birds, Fall Wildlife Festival, and Breeding Bird Surveys. During the summer local children attend Nature Camps for students ages 6-12. Public outreach programs are given weekly at Mohican State Park Resort and seasonally at Malabar Farm, Gorman Nature Center, Kingwood Center, Wildlife Expos and the Ohio State Fair. The Sanctuary's educational outreach programming has expanded over the last three years to include programming for our area homeless shelter, summer camps for disadvantaged youth and weekly visits to the Mansfield City preschool classrooms. These programs are all funded through grants and corporate support.
Our History
The Ohio Bird Sanctuary was founded in 1988, by Executive Director Gail Laux, as the Richland County Raptor Rehabilitation Center. The Sanctuary was originally operated from the private property of the Laux's. The Bird Sanctuary signed a lease with the Heart of Ohio Boy Scout Council in 1995 to create a public facility at the site of Camp Avery Hand. Through public, private and foundation support the Sanctuary developed a public facility that opened the summer of 1999. In 2007 the Ohio Bird Sanctuary entered into a land contract with the Heart of Ohio Council to purchase the 52 acres it had historically leased. The Sanctuary purchased an additional 38 acres plus a building suitable for renovation into a larger visitors center in 2010.
The development of the public facility occurred in stages. 1996-98 the board of trustees and volunteers created a trail system and conducted fund-raisers to renovate an existing building and parking lot. This first phase opened the doors of the Sanctuary for summer camps and special events.
In 1999 a visitors center was constructed with an interpretive lobby, resource library, classroom, receiving area for sick and injured birds, office space, and an outdoor display area for live birds. Completion of this phase created a public educational center for hosting school groups and presently houses all the Sanctuary's operations. A brick walkway and boardwalk were constructed to make the facility accessible to all individuals.
Future Plans
Future development includes the renovation of the dining hall structure into a visitors center. The renovations will include upgrades to make the building energy efficient & accessible. The Sanctuary is also in process of construcing a wheelchair accessible trail and boardwalk into the Clear Fork Marsh.
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