January 30, 2009
by Christine Yeres
Teatown Lake Reservation hosts its fifth annual Hudson River “EagleFest” on Saturday, February 7, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Headquarters for EagleFest is at Croton Point Park, with additional viewing sites along the Hudson at Croton-Harmon train station boat camp, George’s Island Park in Montrose, and Annsville Creek Paddlesport Center in Peekskill. Last year’s event drew 2300 eagle-spotters.
Each site is staffed by eagle experts with spotting scopes, warming tents and hot chocolate. At Croton Point Park headquarters, visitors will find heated tents housing educational displays, exhibits and activities for children. Participants receive a map showing 18 locations, from Yonkers to Beacon, with the best chance of seeing the eagles.
Dr. Fred Koontz, executive director of Teatown, says that bald eagles used to be on the “endangered” list, were downgraded to “threatened,” and for the last two years they have been off the list altogether. “So the good news,” said Koontz, “is that the count of eagles in New York for 2008 shows that their number continues to increase. There are probably 100 in the lower Hudson Valley this winter, from mid-December to mid-March, easily visible from EagleFest lookouts.”
The bad news, Koontz reported, is that tests performed by the Biodiversity Research Institute of Maine show that a quarter of the bald eagle population, state-wide, has dangerously high blood levels of mercury; in the Catskills, one third of the eagle population has been affected. This problem results when emissions of mercury from coal-powered power plants and cement factories enter the water table, fish ingest the mercury with the water, and those mercury-laden fish are then eaten by eagles. So while the comeback of the bald eagle is a great conservation success story, Koontz says “caring for them well into the future will require an on-going public-private partnership to protect eagle habitat.”
At the Croton Point Park EagleFest headquarters, you will find a giant puppet show, story tellers and an “Eagle Exploration Bus Tour,” which will visit three eagle viewing sites, geared to adults and teens. For some activities you must purchase tickets in advance. If you have binoculars, bring them along, says Koontz. Check Teatown’s website for program details and weather updates, or call Teatown at 914-762-2912, extension 110.
Copyright 2012 NewCastleNOW.org