What do owls, ravens, falcons, eagles, and hawks have to do with Klingons, Dungeons and Dragons, and Star Wars? Clearly nothing. Except that earlier this summer, our birds’ paths crossed with such other-worldly fare in Chicago, as they have once a year for the last five.
Confused yet? Okay, enough being cryptic. Duckon, an annual science fiction convention, blew through the Chicago suburbs June 17th-19th and we made our way north with A LOT of birds in tow. Over the course of the weekend, our birds entertained several hundred people (and aliens?) in free-flight shows and rare up-close photo opportunities.
Birds of prey and corvids (the family including crows and ravens and jays) figure prominently into many science fiction and fantasy stories, so we help lovers of this genre meet the actual creatures behind the stories, and they’re never disappointed with the real thing!.
This is where the science meets the fiction in a fantastic way. Themes of conservation and cautionary tales are common in science fiction. How many of these stories start with people having to move to space because we wrecked the planet we have? It makes for good fiction, but who really wants to move to a new planet…really? Teaching about the responsible care of our planet’s resources and wildlife will keep those stories as fiction, not reality.
Duckon is one of my favorite events to go to each year because of the wonderful people we meet and their outpouring of support for the World Bird Sanctuary. We naturalists that go every year are frequently recognized, even when we’re not in uniform or with a bird. We are greeted with such joy and enthusiasm! It’s the closest I’ll ever get to being a rock star…even if it’s really the birds that are the stars!
There are familiar faces who we see annually, some of whom come specifically to see our feathered comrades. Of course they immediately want to know who we’ve brought and if their favorites are among them. Oh yes, they’re happy to see us too, but some of our birds, like Twig the Eastern Screech Owl and Xena the Eurasian Eagle Owl, have quite the Chicago fan base! Every time we go, though, we also reach out to new folks who aren’t familiar with our mission, and I think it’s safe to say that after seeing our show, everyone is on board to help in any way they can. They are a powerful force. After all, what group doesn’t benefit from having Klingons in their corner?!
In all seriousness, though, I’d like to thank all our loyal supporters on the Duckon planning committees and fans who fill out surveys listing the World Bird Sanctuary shows as their favorite part of the convention. It is because of your input and enthusiasm that we get to keep coming back for more fun year after year. Thanks for helping us to have another great one!
