About SOAR

Saving Our Avian Resources, SOAR is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1999 dedicated to saving our avian resources through raptor rehabilitation, education, and research. SOAR maintains all necessary US Fish & Wildlife Service and Iowa DNR permits to provide the rehabilitation and education.

Our Goals

  • Establish a regional raptor rehabilitation facility to serve western Iowa.
  • Use personal connections with individual, wild animals to bring attention to important natural resource conservation projects and issues.
  • Conserve habitat, conduct needed research, and provide educational opportunities.

Does SOAR allow visitors?

SOAR’s mission is three-fold, raptor rehabilitation, raptor education, and raptor research. The facilities of SOAR are designed for the safe and quiet rehabilitation of our feathered patients, i.e. a birdie ‘hospital,’ and are not suitable for visits. In fact the federal rehabilitation permit SOAR operates under requires that these birds are not on display and we limit human contact and disturbance for the patients’ well-being. We thank you for your interest and encourage you to browse the SOAR website where you can meet the folks that help (see below), see pictures of the facilities, read interesting stories about admit, find a listing of public events where SOAR and educational ambassadors are scheduled, and more.

SOAR celebrated 20th Anniversary in 2019

Thank you to all who attended… long-time to new supporters to spouses to those that came from across the ocean to those from near and far! In addition to releasing two American kestrels, two red-tailed hawks, and one 3-year-old bald eagle, we celebrated with pie and ice cream and live music!

SOAR featured on IPTV Iowa Outdoors Episode #305

Iowa Public Television videographer Chris Gourley (now retired) spent time in the field and at SOAR filming for this segment… Click here to see the segment of the show about SOAR.

SOAR Newsletters

Board of Directors

SOAR is managed by a Board of Directors. SOAR is funded through grants, gifts, donations of supplies and in-kind services, and educational program fees. The current board of directors:

Rosemary Partridge
Terrie Hoefer
Laura Lake

Meet the SOAR Team

SOAR is able to do what it does because of the dedication of many people that volunteer their time or provide their services at a discount.

Kay Neumann, Executive Director

Kay with peregrineKay with eagle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kay is a flurry of activity! She provides the daily care, monitoring, and rehabilitation needs of the patients and care and feeding of the education birds, provides programming to school and adult groups, plus keeping the freezer stocked with food, and doing her least favorite activity — record-keeping. She makes time to oversee the education and training of high school and college interns as these are our future biologists, rehabilitators, conservation managers, and environmental educators.

Kay receives awardKay has an M.S. in Wildlife Biology and a B.A. in Biology. She has been working in the fields of environmental education, wildlife research, wildlife rehabilitation, and natural resources restoration for more than 25 years. Kay is a master-class rehabilitator and master-class falconer and celebrated her 30th hunting season in 2014.

Kay received the 2014 Ada Hayden Conservation Education Award from the Iowa Association of Naturalists / Iowa Conservation Education Coalition for outstanding efforts for education on preservation, land management, or natural resource conservation.

SOAR was honored with the 2018 Frederic Leopold Award from the Iowa Association of Naturalists / Iowa Conservation Education Coalition for outstanding environmental education efforts by business, industry, or labor.

If you are interested in falconry or becoming a falconer, please visit these links for information as Kay is not able to take on an apprentice at this time:

If you are interested in wildlife rehabilitation, please visit these links for information as Kay is not able to take on additional apprentices at this time.

Veterinarians

SOAR could not provide quality care to patients and education birds without the help of these veterinarians, their clinics, and support staff that provide consultation, x-rays, medications, and surgery.

Linette Bernard

Linette & BellaLinette works remotely and maintains the donor database, including being a point of contact for donors, sends out acknowledgements and tax letters. She also develops printed materials, helps with the website and Facebook page, provides educational programming, and transports patients as needed. Linette had her first education red-tailed hawk in 1993.

Linette has a M.A. in Youth and Human Services Agency Administration. She has been working in the fields of environmental education, fundraising, youth development, non-profit management, and program quality-assurance.

Terrie Hoefer

Terrie & Stella 2015Terrie has been a SOAR volunteer since 2004 and was the first webmaster. She has a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology and has worked as an environmental educator presenting programs to children, school teachers, and the general public which is her passion. Her work with education birds dates back to 1988. As her full-time job allows, Terrie helps with programs and transporting patients.

Terrie joined the SOAR Board of Directors in 2020.

 

 

 

Savanna Judson

Savanna and ThoraSavanna graduated from Buena Vista University in 2018 and started graduate school in 2020. Savanna is currently in graduate school at Iowa State University and helps with programming and transport as able.

Cassie Wendl

Cassie and great horned owlCassie has been assisting with rehabilitation and rescue / transport since August 2014. Recently, she has been helping with programming duties at some larger events!

 

 

 

 

 

Transporters / Rescuers

Thanks to our “go to” rescue and transport crew of Stacey, Ron H., Matt H., Dan T., Shelley, Christina, Jenni, Deb, Marla, Ron A., Cassie, Alex, Wendy, Lisa, Sue, and volunteers from Wildlife Lodge and Clinic for helping to transport or provide overnight care for injured birds to SOAR. County Conservation Board and Iowa DNR staff help, as able, with rescuing and transporting injured birds.

Many others…

So many folks have provided one-time or ongoing help that if we tried to thank them all, we would miss many. Please know that your help and time is truly appreciated!

Required Reporting

As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, SOAR is required to annually file a federal income tax form.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permits that SOAR holds require annual reports be filed for each calendar year on rehabilitation, education, and species propagation activities.