GARDINER — More than 300 people flocked to Wild Birds Unlimited’s fourth annual Earth Day Celebration on Sunday in honor of the Northwest Raptor Center.
The event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., attracted between 300 and 500 people, owner of the business Christie Lassen said.
About $500 was raised for the Raptor Center through donations and a raffle drawing.
“We are also donating 10 percent of our sales to them today,” Lassen said.
That total hadn’t yet been calculated.
Jaye and Gary Moore, owners of the Raptor Center, brought several unreleasable birds to the event to help the public understand what the center does.
“I always say we rescue, rehabilitate and release them,” Jaye Moore said.
Some birds cannot be released for various reasons: Some have damaged eyes or wings, and some have no physical problems but have become too dependent on humans, she said.
The center takes in other wild animals, but the birds are the easiest to transport for events, Gary Moore said.
“And education is a huge component of what we do,” he said.
“I think Jaye did over 30 programs last year in schools to teach children what to do when they see these animals out there.
“And we always get calls about fawns — the mother deer will leave them for up to 12 hours sometimes, so people get to thinking they were abandoned.
“Last summer I think Jaye convinced about 15 people to just leave them alone — and that is the best thing for them, if we can just stay away.”
Gary Moore said donations from events like Earth Day help the nonprofit organization to survive.
“It would be too tough to run without donations,” he said.
“That is really what keeps us able to do what we do.”
Other vendors also attended the event.
“We really want to make sure everyone is aware of all the wonderful things going on right around here,” Lassen said.
Green Pod Development showed off samples of its environmentally friendly modular home designs.
The company designs homes that use recycled and sustainable materials and as much green energy as possible, designer Ann Raab said.
“Building a home like this can be an overwhelming process, and we are trying to make it as simple as possible for people,” she said.
Nursery at Four Corners, BayWatch of Discovery Bay, Compass Rose Farm, artist Tom Duke with Native Northwest Wooden Flutes, North Olympic Salmon Collation, BEE-I-E-OO Honey Farm, Tribal Edge Primal Arts Training Center and several other area organizations also had booths.
“We enjoy coming to let people know what we do,” Kateen Fenter, of Compass Rose Farms, said as she sat at a spinning wheel.
“The great thing is that we know where all our wool comes from.
“For example, right now I’m spinning wool from a lamb named Peanut.
“You won’t ever get that mix of colors ever again, because it is unique to the lamb and to the year.”
For more information, phone 360-797-7100.
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Reporter Paige Dickerson can be reached at 360-417-3535 or at paige.dickerson@peninsuladaily news.com.
