Contact: Lisa M. Green, Director of Marketing, 802-457-2779 ext. 107, lgreen@vinsweb.org

Enraptured by Raptors: Sharon Boguzewski Goes the Distance for the Love of Birds written by: Pete Hartt

A chance meeting, and the right reaction, turned Sharon Boguzewski into an angel of mercy for Northern Vermont's raptors. Working with the Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS), Sharon, a sales executive with Blue Cross and Blue Shield for 20 years, has been rescuing sick and injured birds of prey since her first rescue six years ago. "My son and I were out in the pasture and he found a Kestrel that was about to be stepped on by a horse," Sharon recalls. "I knew right away it was a falcon." Sharon and her son picked up the injured bird, put it in the horse's grain bucket and took it home. The following day she took the bird to VINS in Woodstock. "We left it and mostly forgot about it," Sharon says. "About six weeks later they (VINS) invited my son down to release it back into the wild. It was wonderful."

Sharon Boguzewski, Sales Executive for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont, has been rescuing sick and injured birds of prey with VINS for over six years.

The experience prompted Sharon to ask what else she could do to help, and, after first becoming part of the Adopt-a-Raptor program, Sharon volunteered to rescue birds. As the only rescuer in her area, Sharon spreads a wide net, and has rescued a variety of birds, including ducks and seagulls, as well as the raptors that originally brought her into the program. "I'm partial to the owls," she notes, "I was transporting a Barred Owl once, and as we drove to Woodstock (where the VINS rehab center is still located), it stuck its head out of the box and just watched me. You get attached to them quickly in the short time you're with them. They fascinate me." The experience is not without its setbacks, however. A third of the birds she rescues don't survive. But the paybacks are immense. "The ones that have survived all would have died," she says.

Though she hopes to change her status with a course at VINS later this year, her job is really that of a caring transporter. She doesn't try to assess the bird's condition. She focuses on trying to get it to assistance as quickly as possible. "I've learned a lot about which birds will survive," Sharon says. "I've become very attuned to the wild."

One of the revelations for Sharon has been that many birds are injured when they swoop down to the roadway to feast on trash thrown by the roadside. Biodegradable items like apple cores and banana peels attract the birds near the road, where they are often hit. "Ninety percent of the birds I rescue have been hit by cars," she says.

The class that is coming up will teach Sharon how to handle healthy raptors, and allow her to take some of the birds that VINS is unable to release into classrooms in the area where she can share her fascination.

And further down the road? Sharon is equally interested in bears....and looking for a bigger car.

The Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving our natural environment through education and research. Founded in 1972, VINS is headquartered in Woodstock, VT with locations in Manchester, Montpelier, and Quechee. For more information about VINS, visit their website at www.vinsweb.org or call 802-457-2779.

Lisa M. Green
Director of Marketing
VINS/Vermont Institute of Natural Science
27073 Church Hill Road
Woodstock, VT 05091-9642
(802) 457-2779 ext. 107
(802) 457-1053 (fax)