Falconer uses birds to give young people hope
<p><span word="Rodney">Rodney</span> <span word="Stotts">Stotts</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="passionate">passionate</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="birds">birds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="prey">prey</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="preyed">preyed</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="others">others</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="drug">drug</span> <span word="dealer">dealer</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="drugs">drugs</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="now">now</span> <span word="works">works</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="conservation">conservation</span> <span word="groups">groups</span>. <span word="Stotts">Stotts</span> <span word="regularly">regularly</span> <span word="returns">returns</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Anacostia">Anacostia</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="poor">poor</span> <span word="Washington">Washington</span> <span word="neighborhood">neighborhood</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="grew">grew</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="teach">teach</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="birds">birds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="prey">prey</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="importance">importance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="protecting">protecting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="environment">environment</span>.</p><p><span word="Rodney">Rodney</span> <span word="Stotts">Stotts</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="calling">calling</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="birds">birds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="prey">prey</span>.</p><p>“<span word="I">I</span> <span word="love">love</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="birds">birds</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="love">love</span> <span word="life">life</span>. <span word="They">They</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="part">part</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="family">family</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Stotts">Stotts</span>.</p><p><span word="Working">Working</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="birds">birds</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="says">says</span>, <span word="helped">helped</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="drug">drug</span> <span word="dealer">dealer</span> <span word="turn">turn</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="life">life</span> <span word="around">around</span>.</p><p>“<span word="That">That</span> <span word="quick">quick</span>, <span word="easy">easy</span> <span word="money">money</span> <span word="leads">leads</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="quick">quick</span>, <span word="easy">easy</span> <span word="death">death</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="don">don</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="drug">drug</span> <span word="dealer">dealer</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="retired">retired</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>.</p><p><span word="But">But</span> <span word="Stotts">Stotts</span> <span word="retired">retired</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> 20'<span word="s">s</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="attending">attending</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="funerals">funerals</span> <span word="of">of</span> 33 <span word="drug">drug</span> <span word="dealers">dealers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="year">year</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="wake">wake</span>-<span word="up">up</span> <span word="call">call</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="Earth">Earth</span> <span word="Conservation">Conservation</span> <span word="Corps">Corps</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="local">local</span> <span word="environmental">environmental</span> <span word="group">group</span> <span word="helping">helping</span> <span word="disadvantaged">disadvantaged</span> <span word="youth">youth</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="him">him</span>. <span word="He">He</span> <span word="began">began</span> <span word="rehabilitating">rehabilitating</span> <span word="injured">injured</span> <span word="birds">birds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="prey">prey</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="them">them</span> - <span word="he">he</span> <span word="says">says</span> - "<span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="life">life</span>".</p><p>"<span word="And">And</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="given">given</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="bird">bird</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="through">through</span> <span word="rehabilitation">rehabilitation</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="once">once</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="rehabilitated">rehabilitated</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="released">released</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wild">wild</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="knowledge">knowledge</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="before">before</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Stotts">Stotts</span>.</p><p><span word="He">He</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="licensed">licensed</span> <span word="falconer">falconer</span>, <span word="hunting">hunting</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="prey">prey</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="raptors">raptors</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="event">event</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="old">old</span> <span word="neighborhood">neighborhood</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="talks">talks</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="birds">birds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="prey">prey</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="importance">importance</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="cleaning">cleaning</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="polluted">polluted</span> <span word="Anacostia">Anacostia</span> <span word="River">River</span>.</p>
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