Diane and Leonard Soucy

Avian Education for All

The Leonard and Diane Soucy Memorial Fund Scholarship

The Raptor Trust’s scholarship program provides vital environmental education to underserved and underfunded schools and interest groups.

This funding assists with the cost of programming, as well as travel to TRT, which can be prohibitive for many schools and groups in the state. The Leonard and Diane Soucy Memorial Fund was created for the sole purpose of carrying on our founders’ legacy of providing education about birds – and birds of prey in particular – to the public. They believed that environmental education is the means by which all of us can learn about, help, and share our love for wild birds.

TRT’s education mission aims to contribute to a better understanding of wildlife. We recognize the lack of diversity in birding and environmental education initiatives and believe that this problem is caused in large part by a lack of opportunity, exacerbated by tight budgets both at home and in the school systems. 

To address this issue practically, we hope to make TRT’s unique raptor education programs available to more people and to captivate all learners.

The Programs

Education is a critical component of our mission. Our educators have developed effective and memorable programs on topics of environmental concern that can be tied to STEM learning standards for school groups. Programs like “Fantastic Flying Falcons,” “All About Owls” and “From Rehab to Release” serve to promote a better understanding of wild birds and environmental stewardship, including:

  • the places that birds like to live, hunt, nest, and migrate

  • how human behavior impacts wild bird populations

  • ways we can help address environmental issues affecting birds

  • appreciation and respect for wildlife

Regarding Travel Assistance: While we will consider requests to cover traveling expenses, area K-12 schools may also be eligible for bus expenses through the Field Trip New Jersey fund with the Community Foundation of New Jersey. We encourage you to apply for funding; TRT may also be able to apply on your behalf: contact development@theraptortrust.org if you would like to request assistance.

Application Form