By STEPHANIE BRUMFIELD / Staff Writer

PELHAM – After spending more than 20 years practicing law and working in the field of public and governmental affairs, Birmingham native Douglas Adair will channel another of his passions, the outdoors, by working as the Alabama Wildlife Center’s new executive director.

Adair started work July 1, and he said his main goal is to continue the work of preserving the natural resources native to his home state.

“My goals are to expand the work the center is doing,” Adair said. “My goal is to work with the very talented and very dedicated volunteers and staff to raise awareness of the Alabama Wildlife Center, to increase the number of volunteers at the center, to increase membership in the center, to be able to expand the rehabilitation mission and to expand our educational mission.”

The Alabama Wildlife Center, a privately funded non-profit located in Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, rescues and rehabilitates wild birds and educates the public about preserving these natural resources. Adair’s hope is to ensure that these natural resources remain available for generations of Alabamians to come.

“I grew up in Alabama and spent most of my life here, and for those of us that have done that, it’s very easy to take for granted the extraordinary natural resources … that are part of our ecosystem,” Adair said. “It’s easy to take that for granted and to assume that it will always be here. I’m looking forward to being able to make a difference in ensuring that is the case.”

To make his goals happen, Adair said it is important that people continue to support the center.

“There’s a misconception that we are a state agency, that we are funded and supported by the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, but we are a private, nonprofit organization and we depend on volunteers and private contributions to survive and do the work that we do. Part of my goal is to make folks aware of that,” Adair said.

For more information, visit Awrc.org.