1st Choice Driving Academy

The Raptor Education Foundation ( REF ) has been promoting environmental literacy since 1980 by providing schools, corporations, conventions, and gatherings of all sizes unique innovative programs and seminars that connect people with the natural world. REF utilizes an extensive cast of live, non-releasable raptors to focus attention on environmental concepts and issues. Other environmental Consulting Services are also available. These consulting services benefit from REF's extensive natural history experience and network of associations at an international level. REF has field experience in Africa, the Caribbean, Micronesia, Fiji, Mexico, Central and South America, Australia, Indonesia, and Russia. In 1999, working with Colorado legislators, Colorado's Governor Owens and numerous county officials, REF designed and issued Colorado's first- ever motor vehicle license plates featuring an environmental/wildlife theme and benefiting REF's environmental literacy mission. The Colorado Respects Wildlife license plates are available only to qualified REF members. T he beautiful graphics featuring America's national symbol, promote REF's mission on the streets and highways of Colorado as part of REF's ongoing Driving For Wildlife campaign. Thousands of vehicles display these exclusive license plates, and their numbers increase every day. Shouldn't you be driving for wildlife and spreading respect? In 2010 REF's plates are still the only eco-license plates available in Colorado! In 2002, REF published a revised and expanded edition of its popular coloring book: Raptors, the Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, and Owls of North America. Reviews from raptor scientists, librarians, and parents confirmed another significant achievement featuring 51 raptors in beautiful color illustrations and line drawings by renown wildlife artist, Donald Malick. P recise and informative vignettes of each species written by Anne Price, REF's Curator of Raptors, completes the book's mission. This book is in its 9th printing. Fidget's Freedom, REF's second book aimed at the beginning reader, written by Stacey Patterson, and illustrated by Russia's premier wildlife artist, Vadim Gorbatov is now available at our store. The story illustrates "hacking" a peregrine falcon into the wild, which is the process utilized by scientists world-wide to bring back endangered raptors from the edge of extinction. As of October 26, 2007, Mr. Gorbatov has completed all the illustrations for the second book of the trilogy, Fidget's Folly. Fidget's Family, the final in the trilogy will follow. All of REF's books focus on generating interest in science at a young age, which is what REF's live raptor programs have been doing longer than any raptor organization in America. The Foundation operates as a non-profit 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) educational organization with special permits issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Collaborating with the Colorado Hawking Club, REF established the first-ever educational clinics for new wildlife field agents at the Colorado Division of Wildlife. These clinics cover raptor identification, husbandry techniques, and maintenance for individuals practicing falconry in Colorado and regulated by CDOW. Expanding these clinics in 2007, REF added a private online reference site for all CDOW officials. REF has received numerous awards and commendations for its programs. The most recent ( Oct/2007 ) recognition was the 10 Best Bet award for "Going Green" in Denver in 2008. In 2005, Anne Price, REF's curator of raptors received international acclaim by being featured in the world's oldest continually published sportsmen's magazine. In the November, 2007 issue Anne received her own byline with an article about Eagle Falconry in the U.S. In July of 2008, REF moved its operations into new and expanded quarters in Brighton, Colorado as it implements its plans to develop Eagle World International with partners THF Realty, and the City of Brig