Torrington – Area kids huddled around as they marveled at a Great Horned Owl named Teasdale. Her vermillion eyes looking amongst the kids was just a slice of Goshen County’s Summer Reading Program this year, held each Wednesday from pre-K to eighth grade.

The Raptor Experience through The Buffalo Bill Center of the West was held at the Goshen County Public Library’s Activity Center from 10 a.m. to noon. This summer’s reading theme: flight. 

Laughter and raised hands stuck out like weeds as the kids became curious about the many great facts about her. 

The students listened in awe at the average lifespan of the owl, which is 20-30 years, with Teasdale being just 14. Great Horned Owls can be the most aggressive owl in the U.S. But their greatest trait is the ability of silent flight, which is possible with their velvety, comb-like feathers.

Staff members Brandon Lewis and Chloe Winkler, from the center in Cody, hosted the experience. Winkler has been employed at the center for four years now and said her experience at the center and being able to care for animals is a new and exciting daily adventure.

Lewis has been with the center since 2012 and now holds the title of the Live Raptor Husbandry and Training Specialist. Lewis’s dreams of being a zoologist morphed into his role over a decade later by traveling and presenting a more meaningful way for people to learn about each species.

The museum is home to any birds that are injured in some way and are unable to survive in the wild themselves. 

“This is a wonderful way for people to connect [with nature],” Lewis said. “With our presentations and outreach programs, we are giving our birds a second chance because they can’t survive on their own.”

Teasdale is just one of the birds native to the great state of Wyoming the center brought in from the wild. Niki Craig, summer reading coordinator, said the inspiration for this summer’s theme stemmed from her personal love of birds and it took flight from there.

The museum is an affiliate with The Buffalo Bill Center and was established in 1927 by Buffalo Bill’s niece, Mary Jester Allen.

The museum is a non-profit organization and all monetary donations go towards medical costs and care for the 12 types of birds at the center. It is a kid-friendly environment to educate students on the sights, sounds, and even smells. Kids can participate in a scavenger hunt throughout four ecosystems.

The Buffalo Bill Center of the West is an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and is one of the five museums in Cody accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. 

They also are particularly focused on the diverse animal and plant species in the Greater Yellowstone region.

The final summer reading event will be held at the same time next Wednesday at the activity center. 

For more information or an events calendar, go to www.goshencountylibrary.org.