By DONNA CAMPBELL / Community Columnist

One non-profit organization getting ready for the upcoming gift-giving season is the Alabama Wildlife Center. The center, nestled inside Oak Mountain State Park, is Alabama’s oldest and largest wildlife rehabilitation facility. According to Doug Adair, the center’s executive director, more than 2,000 birds from more than 100 different species pass through the center annually. As of early November, more than 200 raptors have been patients at the center.

“Our goal is to rescue, rehabilitate, and return to the wild orphaned or injured birds across the avian spectrum, from hummingbird to bald eagle,” said Adair.

The AWC depends on donations, grants and fund-raising opportunities, like its annual craft and bake sale, to be able to provide care to the native and migratory birds that become patients of the center.

The AWC Holiday Craft and Bake Sale will take place Saturday, Dec. 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Veterans Park on Valleydale Road in front of Spain Park High School. Come ready to turn your holiday shopping into charitable support for injured and orphaned wild birds. Some of the items for sale include: nature-themed ornaments and gifts; homemade jams, jellies, cakes, and cookies; bird feeders and houses; original artwork of wildlife and nature; smoked hams and turkey breasts; and frozen casseroles. Bring the kids for time with Santa and up-close viewing of glove-trained educational birds.

“We’re blessed in Alabama with our natural resources,” Adair said. “We need to be proactive about protecting our resources and educating future generations to do the same … that’s our mission.”

Remember the Alabama Wildlife Center this holiday season; it’s another Pelham community treasure.

Donna Campbell is a guest columnist for the Shelby County Reporter.