Coeur d’Alene, IDAHO — Birds of Prey Northwest, a bird sanctuary in St. Maries that suffered serious damage in last month’s windstorm, is hosting a fundraiser at the Coeur d’Alene Resort on Sunday.
Around 25 trees fell at the sanctuary, damaging multiple aviaries and the director’s home. Three birds also escaped from their enclosures.
“We lost a small kestrel, a merlin, and the small pygmy owl. So there’s a small chance we could get them back,” said Janie Veltkamp, founding director of Birds of Prey Northwest.
One tree crashed directly into Veltkamp’s bedroom, but she considers the sanctuary fortunate since staff were off-site conducting educational programs when the storm hit.
“We were off site with the educational birds doing programs, and so we’ve been spared, too. The house can be repaired, and we’re happy to be here to talk about it,” Veltkamp said.
The fundraiser on Sunday will include a silent auction and two live bird shows. It begins at 2:30 pm. A link to event can be found by clicking here.
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