Nov. 17, Saturday -- The public is invited to a free open house at UC Davis' California Raptor Center, an educational and research facility dedicated to the rehabilitation of birds of prey. The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with special presentations at 10 a.m. and noon. Visitors will be able to see the birds up close, "on the fist," and in cages. The Hawk Walk, a one-hour bird watching excursion, will leave at 8 a.m. from the center's gate.

The center is operated by the staff of the School of Veterinary Medicine and a corps of volunteers who care for injured eagles, hawks, vultures and owls, and release them back to the wild when possible. To reach the center, take the UC Davis/Old Davis Road exit from Interstate 80 and turn south onto Old Davis Road. After crossing the train tracks, turn left and follow the paved levee road one block. Turn diagonally left and continue down to the center parking lot. Parking is free.