Aviary viewing platform
The aviaries of the Virginia Living Museum include 3,100 square feet of natural wetlands incorporating a forest and lake. A raised boardwalk and aviary-viewing platform with educational markers provide visitors with information about animals that live in the wetlands.
$25,000 plus $25,000 in local matching funds.
When completed, the indoor songbird aviary and outdoor wetlands aviary will house one of America’s largest collections of native birds — including 30 species.
Inside the Aviary
One of the greatest joys of birding is being up close and personal with your quarry. Being near enough to watch a bird preen, feed, or simply go about its daily business is one of the most exciting pathways to nature. Now, thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Wild Birds Unlimited Pathways To Nature Conservation Fund, observers of all ages can be intimate with birds at the Virginia Living Museum’s Coastal Plain Aviary.
This enclosed, 5500 square foot facility is nestled in a forest at the edge of a lake where 16 species of birds native to the area can be viewed. Mosey along the raised boardwalk for a bird’s eye view of the canopy. Stand quietly and you’ll become part of the ecosystem, blending right in with the birds and their habitats.
This aviary is more than just the chance to see birds close at hand. All of the birds in the aviary are injured and cannot be returned to the wild, so it offers them a second chance, while also giving visitors an opportunity to learn more about our natural world.
For more information: http://www.thevlm.org.
The Pathways To Nature Conservation Fund is a partnership between Wild Birds Unlimited stores and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to fund environmental education and wildlife viewing projects. We encourage all of our customers to visit these incredible places. Your patronage helped make these projects possible!
