Why “OWL”—Outdoor Wild Life?

I have been asked many times— “Why did you name your business OWL?” “Does it mean something?” “Is there something behind this name?” Aside from the obvious acronym, to be perfectly honest, the name comes from what I believed was my spirit animal, which presented itself to me when I was young.

I led a relatively sheltered life as a kid, having grown up in small towns throughout Colorado; Delta, Monte Vista, and Pueblo. And on a visit to see my dad in Pueblo, I found out that he had signed me up to be one of the first volunteers at the Raptor Center there, in 1981. I was still a young 12 years old, and my new “job” was to maintain the raptors’ food sources, clean up after the birds, and feed them regularly. I rode my bike down to the Arkansas River below the Dam at the Pueblo Reservoir and worked there 4-5 days a week, for two summers.

“Maintaining the food source” meant I was supposed to cut up beef chunks and store them, feed them rats and mice that we raised as their food, clean up the cages the rodents lived in, and make sure that the “prey” was healthy enough to be fed to the birds.

“Clean up after the Birds” meant I went into the aviaries after the staff removed the birds, clean their roosts, and remove and replace the straw bedding at the bottom of the aviaries.

“Feed the birds regularly” meant I was supposed to either bring in chunks of beef and pork from the refrigerators for the invalids and fledglings (of which there weren’t many), feed the other birds live mice or rats, or “process” the rodents for food. I would, for instance, pull a mouse out of the cage by the tail, set it on the “processing table”, press and hold a screwdriver on its neck, then snap its tail back, painlessly severing its spinal cord. Then I would give it to the hawk, eagle, kestrel, or owl, so it could safely eat it, should it have an injury that would keep it from doing the work of killing the rodent itself. I’ll refrain from the details, but the rats were much tougher to “process” and required a more gruesome technique to prepare it for a bird, if it was to be given to them dead.

After working there for most of my first  summer, the caretakers felt I could handle the birds safely, without risk of injuring myself, or more importantly, the birds. So, by my second summer, I got to handle the smaller raptors, and wrap others in what they called “birdy-burritos” (for theirs, and the handler’s safety) for weigh-ins, meds, and physical exams.

To say the least, I find birds of prey fascinating, and such impressive, powerful, dignified creatures. Their wings are wonderous marvels of evolution. Their sight is incredible. The effectiveness and sharpness of their beaks, and the strength of their talons is jaw dropping. Working there, I learned so much about these amazing creatures, and could not have been more in awe… until the moment I met a massive female Great Horned Owl, named Athena.

Athena had been struck by a car and broken her right wing. She had been in rehab for just over a year when I met her during my second summer. Her gaze was mesmerizing, cocking her head side to side, and back and forth every time I fed her. I would sit outside her enclosure for what would seem like hours, just watching her. She was just so beautiful…

There was a chance that she might be rehabilitated, and her care continued until late July of ‘82, when staff finally determined she could be released. The Director of the center at the time (R.J. “Something”), decided she would be released her back into the wild, down-river from the center. She had been able to capture and eat live prey with no issues, flying back and forth in her aviary with ease. Though it was a relatively new program, the handlers were confident that her steady recovery would enable her to survive in the wild. They had done many successful releases in the previous year, and she seemed to check all the boxes necessary for release, so a date was set for her to return to the wild, three days before I was to go back home to Monte Vista after visiting my dad in Pueblo for the summer. I was so excited that they were going to finally let her go, but you can imagine this twelve year old’s astonishment (and yes, I was completely floored) when they told me that, because I had done such a great job as a volunteer, they had hoped I would be the one to walk her out into a clearing on the river near the old abandoned state hospital grounds, and release her!

The moment came and R.J. gently removed Athena from her travel cage in the covered bed of an old Dodge pickup. He was gloved up, delicately brought her out, and then turned to me. He said, “Get your glove,” which, after inserting my hand into it, came above my bicep. He caried her over to me, her head rotating in every direction, curiously, but casually, inspecting her new. He reached his gloved arm out to me and said, “Now, just like I showed you, hold your arm up, and grab the tethers firmly above my hand.” I did as he said, and she gracefully stepped onto my scrawny forearm. Her “heft” of over 4lbs might as well have been 54lbs for this preteen. She commanded such presence, and was so majestic, and was eyeing me with a slightly suspicious look. I believed she recognized me, because she had seen me peering at her daily through the chicken wire fencing of her enclosure, and when I had fed her. It was then that her gaze into my eyes felt like it bored itself deep into my soul—my spirit—weirdly connecting to me like I had never connected with anyone, or anything ever before. She sat on my arm, looking intently at me, and I imagined she was wondering why I was holding her.

R.J. then told me to slide my hand down the tethers so he could remove them from her feet. He said that once she was free, she would either fly off immediately, or if content, she might just sit there for a bit. If she didn’t take off immediately, I was supposed to slowly lower my arm, then raise it quickly, to encourage her to take flight. She sat there, only moving her head around, then looking directly at me. The talons and beak of any bird of prey are the business end, and can do major damage, should the bird feel threatened. Hers were no exception. But she just perched there, looked at me, then briefly would shoot a glance around, then back to me. I was in complete awe, frozen by sheer excitement and wonder!

R.J. was saying something to me, but I could not hear him. It was like only Athena and I existed in that moment. Cautiously, but deliberately, he gently grabbed my opposite shoulder and brought me out of my trance… “OK Kev, you can encourage her to go now”, he said. I snapped out of it, and gently lowered my arm, then quickly pushed it in an upward swift motion. But Athena fluffed her wings hitting me in the head, then settled back down when my arm lowered again. She looked at me again, almost appearing puzzled, cocking her head to one side. I said, “Athena, you can go now!” She stared at me, then swiveled her head toward the river. She turned back to me, then effortlessly, but suddenly crouched, then sprang off my arm, throwing her giant wings outward, taking flight. She launched up, into the air, heading straight for a towering Cottonwood tree about 60ft away on the other side of the river. As she approached it, she made a dip, then shot straight up to a large overhanging branch where she came to rest. She sat there, looking straight back in my direction. It felt like she was peering right through me with an energy that felt like she was trying to speak to my soul. I had no reference for what I was feeling because this was a first for me. But R.J. would later tell me that this was a big moment because she had likely “chosen me, being sent to me as a spirit animal”. I didn’t know what that was, but deep down, I felt everything he meant.

She had connected to me, and I, to her. I had no idea how much that moment would affect me, because my life at that time was about to be heaved into a chaos and I would forever be changed because of that, and this connection would help me through it. As I held her, and after she landed in the tree, it seemed such a strange feeling, but later that year, I would feel like I had obtained from her, the inspiration and guidance necessary to explore the unknown, to change, transform, and experience the mysteries and magic of life.

As I understand it now, the Owl reminds us to tap into our intuition, because this is where our wisdom lies. This allows you to see the things and events below the surface, which is usually hard to spot for most. The owl can teach you to be more silent and to quietly, and efficiently, achieve the task at hand, so as not to be a disturbance. It shows us how to look past the surface, to listen and observe; to understand what is truly happening, allowing us to easily see the solutions and distinguish reality from fantasy by going beyond superficial appearances, seeing what is true, not what is trying to be portrayed. This keen “vision” is a symbol of wisdom and insight which I feel has been a part of me for what seems like… always.

When I need to make a difficult decision or clarify a situation, I rely on that feeling I had when I was with Athena, and can usually see what needs to be done. For me, that connection served as an inspiration to me, to help me move through life with less effort, and with wisdom and grace. The Owl’s spirit animal guide can serve as a messenger to protect those relationships that you value—especially those of extreme importance to you.

I have found such inspiration in life, thanks to that one moment, and since then, have always wanted to express the feeling I have with regards to the wisdom, the protection, the transformation, and the guardianship I felt that day.

So, I decided to call my company “OWL—Outdoor Wild Life” because it is exactly that: it’s a company with the foresight of being able to envision a product no one has considered, the wisdom of being innovative enough to create through problem-solving, it’s protection, guarding over the wearer from the elements, and it protects me from that fear of being trapped in a tight space, and allows me to remain as quiet as I can at night, letting others rest peacefully.

All the things that have been problematic with a sleeping bag are addressed by the Evolution SlumberSac—the aggravation of claustrophobia when stuck inside, the lack of mobility, having to get out of the bag, getting dressed, leaving your tent, coming back and reversing the order, only to climb into an ice cold sleeping bag and spend valuable time, trying to get comfortable enough again to fall asleep. And like its magnificent namesake, OWL—Outdoor Wild Life is smart enough to see the problems below the surface, addressing them efficiently, and protecting you from the elements, creating a peace, convenience, and an overall level of comfort for you that you’ve never had before while camping.