Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association

See our Gifts
Overview

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary: More than 75 Years of Raptor Conservation Located in east-central Pennsylvania, Hawk Mountain is the world's first refuge for birds of prey. Open year-round, visitors enjoy scenic vistas, 8-miles of ridge and valley trails, a Visitor Center, Bookstore, and native plant garden, and each autumn, the chance to observe large numbers of hawks, eagles and falcons as they migrate past our lookouts. Operating as a non-profit eco-tourism site, your trail fee or membership dues directly support scientific research, public education and Sanctuary maintenance.

Mission

To conserve birds of prey worldwide by providing leadership in raptor conservation science and education, and by maintaining Hawk Mountain Sanctuary as a model observation, research and education facility.

History

As the world's first refuge for birds of prey, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary has a dramatic and telling history that started during the Great Depression when amateur ornithologist Richard Pough heard of the place locals called "Hawk Mountain" and decided to visit. There he saw gunners stationed, shooting hundreds of passing hawks for sport. Pough unsuccessfully tried to stop the shooting himself, but his photographs were eventually seen by a national conservation activist-New Yorker Rosalie Edge.

In 1934, Mrs. Edge came to Hawk Mountain and leased 1,400 acres. She installed a warden on the property, a New England bird enthusiast named Maurice Broun, and Maurice's wife and bird conservation partner, Irma Broun. The shooting stopped immediately and the next year, Mrs. Edge opened the Sanctuary to the public as a place to see the beautiful but persecuted birds of prey. She purchased and deeded the 1,400 acres to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association, incorporated in 1938 as a non-profit organization in Pennsylvani

Program

-International Internship Program (Two classes of 5-10 per year)
-Volunteer Program (200+ volunteers currently help HMS)
-Graduate Student Program
-Raptor Challenge (Serve underperforming/underserved schools in the four counties closest to Hawk Mountain Sanctuary – Berks, Schuylkill, Lehigh and Northampton. These communities represent approximately 30,000 third and fifth grade students of which approximately 9,000 of these third grade students receive lunch subsidies)
-Weekend Program (A handful of programs are offered to visitors in the fall and spring to educate and entertain.)

Impact

-Ecomonic Impact to local economic (A survey done in the late 1990s show an estimate of 2.8 annually)
-Education Impact (see Raptor Challenge in programs)
-Raptor Conservatioin WorldWide

Goals This Year

-Trail system improvement
-Expand on-site educational programs to off-site locations
-Gain new members through new innovative techniques

CEO

Tom Kerr brings with him two decades of experience in non-profit management and a 35-year history with Hawk Mountain. Tom has been an esteemed board member, was an employee here in the 1980s and enjoys ongoing relationships with the staff and volunteers. A resident of Kempton, Tom enjoys cycling and canoeing.

Board

Joe Mallory, Chairman
Wendy McLean, Vice Chairman
Franklin Kury, Secretary
Frederick Beste III, Treasurer

Dr. William Anderson
Guy Baldassarre
Peter Bennett
Deborah Edge
Stephen Edge
Rob Gottlund
Tony Grimm
Sara O'Byrne
Guido Pichini
Rev. Thomas Reinsel
Tom Stine
Ferdinand Thun
Pamela Vargas
Scott Weidensaul
Jeff Weil
Minturn Wright III

Countries

United States

States

Pennsylvania

Contact

1700 HAWK MOUNTAIN RD

KEMPTON, PA 19529-9379

Phone: (610) 756-6961

www.hawkmountain.org

EIN: 23-1392700


Animals

American Kestrel

Adopt a Nestbox

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association

Regular price $100.00

Your gift will be used to rebuild worn-out boxes and purchase field equipment