Hawk has a date — with freedom

A passerby found the red-tailed hawk, flopping on the ground and unable to fly not far from her hunting ground near the Great Salt Lake in early January. She'd been shot and her wing was broken.

But after weeks of hawk rehab, the female bird of prey will be released into the wild today as part of the grand opening of the Nature Conservancy Visitor Center at the Great Salt Lake Shorelands Preserve.

A public open house and festival begins at 2 p.m. and lasts until 7 p.m. The event includes theme tents, a live bird show by Tracy Aviary and presentations by bird experts and biologists who watch the millions of winged creatures who stay or pass through the saltwater home every year.

The red-tailed hawk will be released following speeches and commendations by Sen. Bob Bennett, Gov. Olene Walker, former Sen. Jake Garn, Elder Alexander Morrison of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and author Terry Tempest Williams, who will be speaking to dignitaries and friends of the Nature Conservancy.

The event marks the end of a 20-year effort by the Conservancy and its partners, who have protected more than 4,000 acres of habitat along the shorelands of one of Utah's most famous landmarks.

This new visitor center is open to the public, free of charge, and offers unprecedented access to the wetlands.

"Civic leaders are coming together to recognize the Great Salt Lake's global importance as habitat for millions of migratory birds and to celebrate the opening of this new visitor center, which enables Utahns to easily experience and learn about the incredible natural resource in their own back yards," according to a news release issued by the Conservancy.

The new visitor center features a one-mile boardwalk trail through prime bird-watching habitat, recently completed educational exhibits and a 30-foot-high viewing tower. The center will be open seven days a week, and naturalist-guided tours will be offered periodically throughout the summer and fall. In conjunction with the visitor center opening, the conservancy is also launching new educational and outreach programs for schools and communities.

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E-mail: lucy@desnews.com