Media Advisory: Newborn peregrine falcons to be banded at Great River Energy power plant
Raptor Resource Project to monitor birds born at renewable energy facilityGreat River Energy will invite the Raptor Resource Project on Tuesday, June 9 at 9 a.m., to band four falcons born on May 19 at its waste-to-energy plant in Elk River, Minn. This is the third consecutive year that two peregrine falcons have made their home in a nesting box located atop the plant near the banks of the Mississippi River.
WHO: Raptor Resource Project, Rogers Middle School’s After-School Environmental Explorers & Great River Energy staff
WHAT: Peregrine falcon banding
WHERE: Great River Energy’s Elk River Station
17845 Highway 10
Elk River, Minn.
WHEN: 9 a.m. on Tuesday, June 9
WHY: To raise awareness of conservation efforts and provide media and the public with an up-close view of newborn peregrine falcons and a live banding.
An area Boy Scout built the nesting box as part of his Eagle Scout project in 2006 and Great River Energy and the Raptor Resource Project have educated area youth groups about peregrine falcons. This year, students from Rogers Middle School will learn about and name the birds.
Peregrines usually make their first flight when they are five or six weeks old. Since 2007, six peregrines have hatched at Elk River Station. Bird watchers can view the pair by visiting the Great River Energy bird cam at www.GreatRiverEnergy.com.
About Great River EnergyGreat River Energy is a not-for-profit cooperative which provides wholesale electricity to more than 1.7 million people through 28 member distribution cooperatives in Minnesota and Wisconsin. With more than $2.8 billion in assets, Great River Energy is the second largest utility in the state, based on generating capacity, and the fifth largest generation and transmission (G&T) cooperative in the United States. Great River Energy’s member cooperatives range from those in the outer-ring suburbs of the Twin Cities to the Arrowhead region of Minnesota to the farmland of southwestern Minnesota. Great River Energy’s largest distribution cooperative serves more than 120,000 member-consumers; the smallest serves just over 2,400.
Daniel Becchetti
763-445-5706
