Company Profile
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association
Company Overview
The world’s first refuge for birds of prey, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary was founded in 1934 to stop the shooting of migrating raptors along an Appalachian ridge in eastern Pennsylvania. Today the non-profit Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Association recognizes the significance of its location along the Appalachian flyway and uses the Sanctuary as a tool to meet its mission: To conserve birds of prey worldwide by providing leadership in raptor conservation science and education and by maintaining Hawk Mountain Sanctuary as a model observation, research, and education facility.
The Association manages the 2,600-acre wildlife refuge as an eco-tourism destination, designed to connect people with the inspirational nature of its mountain location and stretching views, and to provide public access and appreciation for the annual hawk migration. Admission fees and memberships support local to international research and training programs. The Sanctuary is best known for its annual autumn hawkwatch, the longest-running raptor migration count in the world, and more recently, its international Conservation Science Training Program, which has trained more than 400 young conservationists from 72 countries on six continents.
Facilities include a Visitor Center, Native Plant Garden, eight-mile trail system, and scenic overlooks, the Acopian Center for Conservation Learning, an international biological field station and training facility for young raptor conservationists, and the headquarters for Hawk Mountain programs in conservation science, and the Irma Broun-Kahn Education Building, headquarters for programs in conservation education.
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary welcomes an average 65,000 visitors per year and is supported by an international membership of 9,500. The Sanctuary operates year-round with a full-time staff of 16, more than 200 active volunteers, and an annual operating budget of $1.9 million. More information is available at www.hawkmountain.org.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
The oldest and largest member-supported raptor conservation organization in the world.