BAYSIDE, Wis. — One mission of the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center is to raise awareness about birds of prey around Wisconsin.

That's why their Raptor Program is vital to meeting this goal.

Lindsay Focht is the director of the Raptor Program. 

“She was hatched out in the wild in 2011 and she has actually been with us nearly that whole,” Focht said while introducing one of their bald eagles.

The bald eagle's name is Valkyrie. She is one of the 15 unreleasable birds in their program.

The Nature Center also has hawks, owls, falcons, a Turkey Vulture and an American Crow.

Focht said the reason Valkyrie can’t live in the wild is her parents never taught her how to hunt.

“What she found out was that if she went up to people, they would throw food at her and like to toss fish to her, so she quickly made that association that whenever I’m hungry, I just have to find people," said Focht. "Unfortunately for Valkyrie, that can be a very dangerous situation.”

Fortunately for Valkyrie, she has a new purpose which is the conservation of her species through education.

“With the help of our live birds, we can create those personal experiences for people and help make them a little more aware, appreciate nature and even try to inspire people to make small little changes within their own lives,” said Focht.

Focht said that means planting more native species and littering less.

“Raptors are an indicator species, which means that their prevalence in the environment is the indicator of the health of the ecosystem as a whole.”

Focht also said Valkyrie leaves an impression on everyone she meets. She believes Valkyrie will inspire others just to be a little bit more aware of their environment.

On Saturdays from 1 to 2pm, the Schlitz Audubon Centers hosts "Word with a Bird" to give the public an opportunity to see and learn about two of the birds in the Raptor Program.

For more information on the Raptor Program, click here.