Our weekend was filled with anticipation as we waited for construction to begin. The raptor flight pen and raccoon habitat started going up today, with the main supports being put into the ground. This project has been in the works for several months and was designed by Svey Strekalovsky. The project contractor is Ken Ryder, owner of the contracting company Ryder Development, who is donating his time and talent to the project. The project would not be possible without Ken’s generous donation. New England Wildlife Center raised the money from private foundations to build the caging. The pens have some really cool aspects to them. The Raccoon habitat is going to include platforms staggered at different heights, with ways for the raccoons to walk platform to platform. These platforms act as stimulants which fuel the curiosity of raccoons and cater to their developmental and behavioral skills, which are necessary for successful release into the wild. The Raptor flight pen will be used to provide larger birds, including birds of prey, with 20′ x 60′ x 48′ (big) area to exercise and build up their stamina before release. We expect the construction to continue into September and will be providing updates as we get them.