Hosted by the Connecticut Community Foundation, Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills is a 36-hour online community giving event that encourages donors to lend their support to the nonprofit organizations that work every day to make our community stronger.
Every dollar donated to the Conservation Center from 7 a.m. on April 21 to 7 p.m. on April 22 will support the building of our brand new aviary!
A powerful part of White Memorial’s educational mission quite literally takes flight on the wings of our Avian Ambassadors.
At White Memorial Conservation Center, two remarkable non-releasable birds of prey help us connect thousands of visitors each year to the wonder of the natural world: Zelda, our Barred Owl, and Irie, our Red-tailed Hawk. Through them, children experience their first close look at a raptor. Adults rediscover awe. Conversations about conservation become personal, powerful, and lasting.
If you’ve visited Zelda and Irie in their aviary just outside the Museum, you’ve seen how special they are.
But their current home is not.
Built in the 1990s, the existing aviary is worn, outdated, and in urgent need of complete replacement. It no longer reflects the level of care, respect, and excellence these birds deserve — nor does it meet the evolving needs of the dedicated staff and volunteers who provide their daily care.
Our Avian Ambassadors deserve more than adequate. They deserve extraordinary.
We have a new, thoughtfully designed, state-of-the-art aviary plan ready to go — one that will provide:
Enhanced safety and security
Enrichment features that support natural behaviors
Proper landscaping for a more natural habitat
Running water and electricity for optimal care
Safe, accessible space for staff and volunteers
Room to welcome a future Avian Ambassador
Thanks to the generosity of a major lead sponsor, we are already partway there. But constructing a modern aviary — built to the highest standards — requires significant resources.
Your gift to Give Local 2026 will help transform this vision into reality.
With your support, we hope to break ground in 2026 and give Zelda and Irie the home they truly deserve — while creating a new space that will inspire generations to come.
Every gift matters. No donation is too small. Together, we can build a future where conservation education continues to soar.
April 21 and 22, 2026
Hosted by the Connecticut Community Foundation, Give Local Greater Waterbury & Litchfield Hills is a 36-hour online community giving event that encourages donors to lend their support to the nonprofit organizations that work every day to make our community stronger.
Every dollar donated to the Conservation Center from 7 a.m. on April 21 to 7 p.m. on April 22 will support the building of our brand new aviary!
A powerful part of White Memorial’s educational mission quite literally takes flight on the wings of our Avian Ambassadors.
At White Memorial Conservation Center, two remarkable non-releasable birds of prey help us connect thousands of visitors each year to the wonder of the natural world: Zelda, our Barred Owl, and Irie, our Red-tailed Hawk. Through them, children experience their first close look at a raptor. Adults rediscover awe. Conversations about conservation become personal, powerful, and lasting.
If you’ve visited Zelda and Irie in their aviary just outside the Museum, you’ve seen how special they are.
But their current home is not.
Built in the 1990s, the existing aviary is worn, outdated, and in urgent need of complete replacement. It no longer reflects the level of care, respect, and excellence these birds deserve — nor does it meet the evolving needs of the dedicated staff and volunteers who provide their daily care.
Our Avian Ambassadors deserve more than adequate.
They deserve extraordinary.
We have a new, thoughtfully designed, state-of-the-art aviary plan ready to go — one that will provide:
Thanks to the generosity of a major lead sponsor, we are already partway there. But constructing a modern aviary — built to the highest standards — requires significant resources.
Your gift to Give Local 2026 will help transform this vision into reality.
With your support, we hope to break ground in 2026 and give Zelda and Irie the home they truly deserve — while creating a new space that will inspire generations to come.
Every gift matters. No donation is too small.
Together, we can build a future where conservation education continues to soar.
Thank you for helping our mission take flight.
Watch our website www.whitememorialcc.org or read your Habitattler for more details on how you can donate or visit our personal Give Local page https://www.givelocalccf.org/organizations/white-memorial-conservation-center
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