Cyrus Klingsberg says he is serious about birds. At 97 years old, he is as determined as ever to visit Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, and he wants to make sure others do as well.
“I am disappointed that I keep running into people who haven’t heard of the place! I’m going to try to change that,” Klingsberg said. “Shaver’s Creek should be an inspiration to people.”
Klingsberg gifted $250,000 to Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, which was significant to the creation of the Klingsberg Aviary in honor of his late wife, Vera, and their shared love for birds. He also hopes to help raise the level of awareness of all Shaver’s Creek has to offer.
“Vera and I were avid birders for most of our lives,” Klingsberg said. “We took major trips across the country to observe birds in Texas, Florida, Massachusetts, Delaware, along the Eastern Shore, and when we traveled and lived abroad. It can be an inexpensive hobby. All you need is a bird book, binoculars, and a place to watch them — even if it is in your own backyard.”
Klingsberg earned his Ph.D. in 1958 through the Department of Geochemistry from the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences at Penn State. He worked in private industry as well as for nonprofits, concluding his career with the U.S. Department of Energy.
Klingsberg said he had two distinct thoughts in mind when he decided on his gift to Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center.
“I want to share Vera’s love for birds with a future generation by helping to build and sustain the aviary as a tribute to her memory, and to pay back a debt of gratitude to Penn State. I was able to build a career beyond what I anticipated from what I learned as a graduate student,” Klingsberg said. “My other hope is to grow awareness in the community for Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center. It is a beautiful place for anyone interested in the natural world, but a secret that is too well kept. People should know about it. I want to help create awareness for the enjoyment of nature and bird watching as a hobby for others.”
Mark McLaughlin, director for Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, said the staff at the center is grateful for the gift that made the Klingsberg Aviary a reality.
“The impact of this gift from Vera and Cyrus is incredible,” McLaughlin said. “I believe Abby Flanders, the raptor program coordinator at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center, summed it up best when she said the legacy of the Klingsberg Aviary will give the public the ability to form a relationship with nature, give visitors the ability to see wildlife in a new way, and Penn State students the ability to be a part of our mission and then carry it forward wherever they go.”
The Klingsberg Aviary at Shaver’s Creek Environmental Center offers bird enthusiasts the opportunity to see several types of raptors in the Barron Owl Mews; Driftmier Eagle Mew; Butey Soaring Hawk Complex, named by an anonymous donor in honor of the first raptor to reside at Shaver’s Creek; and several other mews housing owls, kestrels, golden eagles, falcons, hawks, and Klingsberg’s favorite girl at the Center: a black vulture named Matilda. All the raptors residing at Shaver’s Creek are from rehabilitation centers and have permanent disabilities that prevent them from returning to the wild.
Shaver’s Creek was founded in 1976 as a resource for the community and as a field laboratory where students could get hands-on experience teaching about the natural world. Its mission is to extend the University’s outreach mission of instruction, service, and research.
This gift will advance “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university; keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by serving communities and fueling discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship.