A biologist passionate for owls has been hitting the road to share that passion with others. 

Dr. James Duncan.

After decades of researching the natural history and biology of owls, Dr. James Duncan, Director of Discover Owls, realized owls seemed to appeal to a wide audience, and he wanted the opportunity to remove science from the 'ivory tower'.

Visiting events and venues to make science more accessible for the general public, Duncan found many had owl stories of their own to share.

One of the methods Duncan uses to teach is an ambassador owl known as Rusty. One of 11 species of owl found in Manitoba, Duncan says the four-year-old long-eared owl is the most exciting part of his presentation.

"To get to see one close up and to hear some of the features that make owls different from other birds is a great way of sharing information and educating, but also helping to conserve owls and the habitats they need to survive. That's another vital part of our message."

Education is the best way to aid in conversation says Duncan, in the case of Rusty, she can never be released into the wild because she has imprinted onto humans.

Duncan explains people will sometimes see a young owl outside of the nest and will assume they're an orphan and take it in. However, owlets will often leave the nest to explore and should be left alone; young owls need to be raised by owls; if they imprint onto humans, they will never survive in the wild.

With 30 years under his belt working with owls, Dr. Duncan shares what sparked his desire to study these birds of prey.

"As a young biologist student, when I started to read about them I discovered how little was known about them. To me, that was very exciting because there were lots of opportunities to make inroads into our knowledge on owls. It's kind of like exploring a part of the universe no one has explored."

Duncan adds there is still so much left to be learned, and for those wanting to pursue a life in biology or science there is excitement in discovering the unknown.

That's the importance of these presentations, says Duncan, instilling passions to the public and future scientists of conservation because owls and all species need habitats to live, and we must do our part to protect it.