As part of the University of Kentucky’s EarthDays in the Bluegrass 2012, the UK Natural Resources and Environmental Science program is offering the public a chance to get an up-close view of birds of prey at 3 p.m. Saturday April 14 in room 106 of  UK’s White Hall Classroom Building.

The program, titled INSPIRE: Birds of Prey, will be presented by students from Southwestern High School in Pulaski County. Nearly 100 students in the high school’s conservation club care for the birds and lead educational programs. They are the only raptor rehabilitation and education program in the nation led by high school students on a high school campus.

During the program, the students will handle birds of prey as they fly and do tricks. The raptors are all found in Kentucky and may include screech owls, American kestrels, red-tailed hawks, barred owls, great horned owls and an eagle. The audience will have the opportunity to participate during parts of the program.

At the end of the program, the public will have the opportunity to get closer to the birds, take photos and, possibly, hold a hawk.

Free parking is available on campus in any “E” lot. For more information about the program, view the UK Natural Resources and Environmental Science website http://www2.ca.uky.edu/nres/raptor.

Program sponsors include EarthDays in the Bluegrass, the UK Environmental Science Club and UK Natural Resources and Environmental Science.