New Carlsen Aviary at the Eagle Creek Ornithology Center
By Jenna McElroy and Olivia Bautch
ABAS donated $25,000 toward the construction of the Carlsen Aviary
If you’ve been around the Ornithology Center (OC) for the last few years, you probably witnessed the construction of their new, large bird enclosures near the parking lot. Originally started by previous Manager, Will Schaust, in the Spring of 2022, this has been a long-term project, for sure! The current OC manager, Jenna McElroy, and all the staff and volunteers are so grateful for the generous donation from ABAS in the fall of 2022 that enabled them to hire Kevin Carlsen to complete the project and beautify the structure, which was unveiled last weekend at the center’s annual October Owl Festival. You can still visit to see the new signage and four of the park’s Raptor Ambassadors enjoying their new homes!
Naming the structure the “Carlsen Aviary” after Kevin Carlsen was an easy decision, and was fully supported by park staff, volunteers, long-term park visitors, ABAS board members, and anyone who has been lucky enough to know Kevin. He is not only a master carpenter, expert photographer, and birder, he is also the founder of the Ornithology Center. When Eagle Creek Park decided to build its new nature center, the Earth Discovery Center, Kevin, with the help of many volunteers, supporters, and donors like ABAS, convinced the City to let them renovate it and turn it into the Ornithology Center, which opened in 2009.
An Interview with Kevin Carlsen:
ABAS: Where are you from originally? What sparked your passion for nature and birds, and when?
Kevin: I grew up in Rye, New Hampshire. Growing up we always had bird feeders and my mom would show me all the new birds that came into the yard. As a family, we did a lot of hiking and camping and went to a lot of national parks. In the late fifties, my dad took a month off from work and took us to Yellowstone National Park and other national parks along the way. This was my first opportunity to see a lot of western birds. Rye was the best place to grow up; we had lots of open fields, woods, the beach/ocean was just down the street, and the mountains were only an hour away. We were outdoors from sunrise to sunset.
ABAS: Where has that passion taken you over your life?
Kevin: My love for hiking, birding, and photography has taken me all over the US. I have hiked the Grand Canyon every year for the past 50 years. On my trips out and back to the canyon, I have many birding locations that I look forward to and I always try to get to as many national wildlife refuges as I can.
ABAS: What nature-related projects have you worked on over your life?
Kevin: I have helped with trail work at many different parks, built observation decks, bird blinds, bird houses, and backyard birding habitats, helped restore native habitats, and built many bird and nature displays for nature centers. I have a 106-bird species list for my backyard, which I also renovated. I worked at Eagle Creek Park for 17 years and have worked on many nature-related projects. My biggest project was designing and building the Ornithology Center, for which I received the IPL Golden Eagle Environmentalist of the Year award.
ABAS: What is your favorite thing about working in nature?
Kevin: Being outdoors! And sharing what I have learned over the years with other people. The sun, rain, warmth, cold, sunrise, sunset – every day brings something new to see and learn. I love the birds, animals, all the different smells, the quiet, all of it.
ABAS: What brought you to Indianapolis and Eagle Creek Park? What keeps you here?
Kevin: I was a carpenter back east and all the construction work stopped because the banks fell on hard times. On my trip to the Grand Canyon, I stopped to put a room addition on my sister’s house and picked up a number of other jobs. So not having any work back east I moved out to Indianapolis. That’s when I found Eagle Creek Park and joined the ABAS Sunday morning bird hikes. Eagle Creek Park and the birds are what keep me here.
ABAS: What future projects do you have in store?
Kevin: I have a number of projects at the Ornithology Center that I’m working on and others I hope they let me do. I am also working on a couple projects in the park that are just in their early planning stages.
ABAS: What is one piece of advice or wisdom you can share with readers?
Kevin: “Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
More About the New Aviary
The Carlsen Aviary will be the new home for several of the OC’s Raptor Ambassadors. Currently, you can see Matilda the Turkey Vulture flying in her new 40-foot flight cage, Obi the Barn Owl and Minerva the Great Horned Owl side-by-side, and Reddington the Red-tailed Hawk enjoying his new views. These enclosures have been thoughtfully designed and built to meet the unique needs of every bird, including specific accommodations for permanent disabilities, how the birds will interact with care takers, and giving visitors the best views of their natural behaviors while still allowing the birds to feel safe and comfortable. This is one more step towards the OC’s new raptor education curation plan, furthering their mission of putting the welfare of the birds first, rather than making every bird sit on a glove face-to-face with its audience. The Carlsen Aviary means a dramatic increase in the educational capacity of the Ornithology Center. Visitors, students, and bird enthusiasts alike can appreciate the Raptor Ambassadors like never before. You can donate to them by Adopting a Raptor at https://eaglecreekpark.org/product/adopt-a-raptor/ – and some of the adoption levels even include a behind-the-scenes tour!
