Laura Craver-Rogers reacts Wednesday as she and Maggie Jones of the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center release a female great horned owl back to the woods of Preston. The owl, which had been named "Sam" when nature center staff believed the bird would be staying with them, recently showed marked improvement after four years of rehabilitation, and Jones decided she was ready to return to her native habitat. Sam was rescued from a brush pile in Preston in the fall of 2010 with severe injuries to her legs and feet.