What does the Raptor Resource Project do? We:
- Work with government agencies, private businesses, and other non-profits to monitor and band peregrine falcons at over 40 sites. Our region stretches for well over 500 miles and encompasses parts of three major rivers - the Minnesota, the St. Croix, and the Mississippi.
- Provide one of the world’s largest public wildlife education programs to countless school kids through our live online streams, interactive chat, facebook page, and blog. Our Decorah eaglecam alone has been watched by over 302 million people worldwide since 2011. We maintain over 20 public and private cameras to monitor and learn about birds of prey.
- Build and install nest boxes to bolster bird of prey populations in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
- Provide information and consultation free of charge to other organizations and businesses who are interested in initiating their own nest box programs.
- Track and share data about free-living bald eagles in conjunction with Brett Mandernack at Eagle Valley.
These things all take money. As of 2014, our annual expenses were hovering around $87,000 per year:
- Staff costs a little over $42,500 annually.
- Equipment – computers, camera upgrades and maintenance, tools, encoders, software, transmitters, and so on – costs around $17,000 annually.
- Supplies – primarily cable, tools, climbing equipment, banding equipment, bands, installation hardware, maintenance equipment, and lumber – cost around $5,000 annually.
- Satellite data costs $4,225 dollars annually.
- Internet access costs $4,500 annually.
- Other/Miscellaneous costs around $9,000 annually. This category includes gasoline, electricity, travel-related costs, equipment fabrication, and a furnace and propane so we can heat the shed!
- One-time costs and special projects vary widely. In 2013, for example, we spent $19,000 in Decorah to get video cable over to N2. While that was unusually expensive, it isn't uncommon for costs to crop up given the amount of cams and equipment we have.
We have some exciting projects coming up in 2015 and 2016, including a wild Philippine eagle cam and an expansion of our eaglecam project! Our income is generated entirely by small donations from viewers of our various cams, and we sincerely appreciate your generosity and support of the Raptor Resource Project mission. Would you please help us make a difference with your donation?
Thank you so much for your support and we hope you enjoy watching in 2015!
