Operating the Environmental Education Center

2010 was another landmark year for the World Bird Sanctuary.  

Our beautiful new outdoor classroom - part of the remodeled Environmental Education Center (EEC)

One of the reasons it was a great year was because of a generous grant from the Monsanto Fund for remodeling of our Visitor Information Center and the addition of restrooms to our upper triangle area.

After several months of construction we opened our new and expanded Environmental Education Center to the public with a formal ribbon cutting ceremony in September.

Walter Crawford, World Bird Sanctuary Director, and Deborah Patterson, President of the Monsanto Fund, cut the ribbon to herald the opening of the EEC

Even though the generous grant we received covered the cost of construction, we still have the burden of expenses for items used on a daily basis.  As Manager of our Environmental Education Center I made a list of items still needed to operate this new facility.  I then did a walk-through of a local hardware store to come up with a cost estimate for items still needed to efficiently operate our beautiful new buildings.

Following is a conservative list of what we will need:

$6.32 for keys

$13.94 padlocks

$8.37 for 50 feet of 1/4 inch braided nylon rope

$50.49 velcro

$35.52 Tube Sand

$4.52 outdoor thermometer

$54 plants

$22.52 American Flag

$16.98 Fire Extinguisher

$27.98 3-step Steel Step Black

$8.00 mop

$47.92 Force Flex Trash Bags

$150 Cordless, battery operated Weedwacker

$39.92 floodlights

$71.84 Ice Melt

$17.64 for 2-8 foot flourescents

$59.40 for Snap-in Gutter Guard

$40.24 for 10 cans of flat Black Spray Paint

$44.98 for 75 foot Contractor hose

$15 Vacuum Bags

Total :$735.58

It occurred to me that perhaps our generous supporters would be willing to help us out by donating the needed articles, if they only knew what they were.  We would gladly accept donations of any of the listed items—in whole or in part.  Monetary donations could be in the form of cash, check, credit card or gift card to a local hardware store.

If donating by check please make it payable to World Bird Sanctuary.

Please “Make My Day” and come in and hand it to me personally at the Environmental Education Center--or send it to World Bird Sanctuary, Attn: Michael Zeloski, World Bird Sanctuary, 125 Bald Eagle Ridge Road, Valley Park, MO, 63088

Thank you for helping us with our operating costs for 2011 for the new Environmental Education Center.

Submitted by Michael Zeloski, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist