HawkQuest show returns to Castle Pines Village
Castle Pines Village resident Gina Gerken (right) assists HawkQuest founder, Kin Quitugua, during a presentation in Castle Pines Village.
Article and photos by Tracy Dudley
For the second year in a row, more than 200 Castle Pines Village residents and their families were treated to HawkQuest’s breathtaking exhibit of live raptors. The occasion? The Castle Pines Home Owners Association’s (CPHA) Wildlife Committee celebrated another successful year of community enhancement with a pancake breakfast and wildlife show.
The CPHA Wildlife Committee was reorganized in 2007 to educate Castle Pines Village residents about wildlife in the area and to address issues concerning wildlife encounters. Throughout the year, this committee regularly publishes articles in the community newsletter, presents wildlife programs, and offers educational workshops to provide general information about local wildlife, as well as inform residents of current wildlife issues.
“We originally formed the wildlife committee in an effort to address escalating issues with coyotes in the Village,” said Castle Pines Village resident and HawkQuest volunteer Gina Gerken. “Based on the wealth of information and education we have been able to provide to our residents, I would highly recommend a wildlife committee for all of the associations in this community.”
Gerken and fellow volunteers with the HawkQuest organization presented five live birds of prey at their annual pancake breakfast in March. This year’s exhibit included a Bald Eagle, a Red-tailed Hawk, a Harris Hawk, a Barn Owl, and a Great-Horned Owl. For more information about HawkQuest, the programs it offers, and a calendar of events open to the public, visit www.hawkquest.org.
In addition to HawkQuest, the annual get-together also featured the CPHA garden club, the CPHA forestry committee, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife. All of these organizations provided a plethora of information, as well as fun, interactive, and educational wildlife activities for adults and children alike.
“I have personally spoken with the new mayor of Castle Pines North and he seemed very receptive to starting a wildlife committee for that community,” said Gerken. “A dedicated committee really can make a difference in addressing pressing issues such as the coyote dilemma currently faced by the city
