While attending a program at a local environmental center, I found out that many red-tailed hawks are killed every year along our highways. I also found out that I was contributing to this problem since when I finished eating an apple in the car, I would throw the core out the window! The core attracts the mice, the mice attract the hawks, and the rest is history. The story then was written to inform children about this possibility and help them gain an appreciation for these beautiful creatures.