Refunds OK up to one week before the program. After watching for a while, I a saw a little fluffy head moving around in the nest. Many hours are spent checking nest conditions, adult eagle activity, incubation, and eaglet behavior and fledging. This information is important to the state and federal officials who keep track of the every-growing population of resident eagles. More than 40 nesting pairs were reported in 1999 each in New York and Pennsylvania, and that number is thought to be higher for 2000.
Volunteers fill an important niche in breeding eagle management.
The Eagle Institute is filling an important education and conservation role in Sullivan County, where the unprecedented and astonishing numbers of bald eagles excite the interest and admiration of increasing numbers of people who live nearby or, more often, travel from some distance to see the birds. There is great potential for conflict between the people and the eagles, with the threat of disturbance increasing dramatically as the number of viewers increases. It is crucial that people be guided to manageable, safe viewing areas, and that they learn how to observe without disturbing the birds and learn to value the eagles. Just as there is no other bird that has a comparable effect on ordinary non-birding Americans, there is no other organization that can meet these goals. Dr. Freer recently retired from Sullivan County Community College, where she was Chair of the Division of Science and Mathematics, and taught General Biology, Field Biology, and Ornithology.