ALPENA – Jeremy Stoppa, an Alpena native, originally went to Lake Superior State University with the intention of eventually studying black bears, but his interests changed.

“I took a position with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the Seney Wildlife Refuge, and there was another biologist that was interested in birds of prey,” he said.

That was when Stoppa lost focus on bears and was more interested in birds. He did not look back. He’s been back in Alpena for the last five years and has spent three of those working on creating a nonprofit birds of prey rehabilitation and education center called RedSky Raptor Center.

In December after years of work he and his partner, Suzy Moore, were able to secure nonprofit status and a solicitation license to help generate funding for the center.

Stoppa said he has been in talks with Alpena Community College in an attempt to get a land grant to build a center in the community.

“It would be the only raptor rehabilitation facility in northern lower Michigan,” he said. “The closest facility would be in Empire, near Traverse City. I would have a huge area that I could cover.”

Stoppa said his original love and expertise came after 15 years of working for nonprofit organizations that would take birds around to educate the public.

“It was such an honor to be able to do that,” he said.

But after the facility closed down – Stoppa tried to take it over, but due to complications it was not possible – he moved back to Alpena with an idea to start a facility in this area.

Moore said things started moving fast when the pair began the process in Alpena.

“I have had a lot of help from a lot of people who have had experiences with nonprofits,” Stoppa said. “It took a year to get through the federal government paperwork, the federal government, having architectural renderings and job restrictions; they wanted to see it all.”

Money was raised through a GoFundMe account, but some of Stoppa’s private money was spent, according to Moore.

“We have spent $1,000 out of our own pockets, but we were able to raise money through the community,” she said.

They also managed to get a solicitation license, which means they can hold fundraisers and solicit for donations for the center.

Stoppa said there will be continued meetings with ACC’s property committee for getting the land. After that he hopes to secure private donations to build a facility, as well as grants and other opportunities. He said the facility would benefit the public and ACC students.

“Any types of students that would be interested in biology or that type of knowledge, it’s a great foot in the door,” he said.

Stoppa said a facility specifically tailored to the needs of birds has to be built, and that buying an existing space to convert it to a sanctuary would be costly.

“It’s better to just build a building,” he said.

According to Moore, helping preserve birds’ health is important because birds of prey have a large impact on the environment, including keeping rodent populations down.

She said people can do their part to avoid birds getting hurt by not doing things like tossing food items out of vehicles.

“When people are eating a banana or an apple while driving, they’ll throw it on the side of the road and not think about it,” she said. “Then mice come to eat it and birds of prey come down and get hit by a car. It happens all the time.”

More information about the organization can be found by visiting www.facebook.com/redskyraptor.

Jason Ogden can be reached via email at jogden@thealpenanews.com or by phone at 358-5693. Follow Jason on Twitter @jo_alpenanews.