National Eagle Center
Encyclopedia
The National Eagle Center is a nonprofit organization in Wabasha
, Minnesota
that focuses on conservation, research and educational efforts relating to eagles
.
region. EagleWatch Inc. worked to advance the bald eagle
as a symbol of cultural heritage and celebrate eagles as a symbol of the success of federal and state endangered species recovery efforts.
Over its 15-year history, EagleWatch evolved to become The National Eagle Center, a public/private partnership between EagleWatch, the City of Wabasha and the Wabasha Port Authority. These partners have constructed a 14000 square feet (1,300.6 m²) Interpretive center overlooking the Mississippi River, located on one thousand feet of Mississippi River
shoreline in Wabasha.
The National Eagle Center is home to five eagle
s, Harriet, Angel, Columbia, Wasaka and Donald. All five eagles were rescued. They travel extensively to outreach programs and ceremonies.
When the facility is open to visitors, Harriet, Angel, Columbia, Wasaka and Donald, spend most of their time in the eagle viewing room, where volunteers answer questions. Since the birds are tethered as opposed to behind glass or caged, visitors get a close up, personal beak-to-nose experience.
Hour-long educational feeding programs are given a number of times each day, providing visitors with another opportunity to learn about the eagle, as well as participate in question and answer sessions.
The facility provides eagle, wildlife, and conservation exhibits, and several eagle observation decks complete with spotting scopes provide ample opportunity to view countless wild eagles over the adjoining Mississippi River and backwaters, as well as river traffic and other abundant species of wildlife.
The interpretive center focuses on the importance of the bald eagle as a national symbol, and its relationship to veterans of the United States
of American Armed Forces. The new Center also relays Native American
history and the culture of the region as it relates to the bald eagle. An engaging children's area with kid-proof binoculars provides interest to all ages. The average visit at the National Eagle Center is over 80 minutes.
Wabasha, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,599 people, 1,062 households, and 665 families residing in the city. The population density was 318.4 people per square mile . There were 1,166 housing units at an average density of 142.9 per square mile...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
that focuses on conservation, research and educational efforts relating to eagles
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
.
History
Established in 1989 as EagleWatch Inc., organization initially focused on environmental stewardship through conservation, research, and education in the Upper Mississippi RiverUpper Mississippi River
The Upper Mississippi River is the portion of the Mississippi River upstream of Cairo, Illinois, United States. From the headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, the river flows approximately 2000 kilometers to Cairo, where it is joined by the Ohio River to form the Lower Mississippi...
region. EagleWatch Inc. worked to advance the bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
as a symbol of cultural heritage and celebrate eagles as a symbol of the success of federal and state endangered species recovery efforts.
Over its 15-year history, EagleWatch evolved to become The National Eagle Center, a public/private partnership between EagleWatch, the City of Wabasha and the Wabasha Port Authority. These partners have constructed a 14000 square feet (1,300.6 m²) Interpretive center overlooking the Mississippi River, located on one thousand feet of Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
shoreline in Wabasha.
Facilities, events, animals
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
s, Harriet, Angel, Columbia, Wasaka and Donald. All five eagles were rescued. They travel extensively to outreach programs and ceremonies.
When the facility is open to visitors, Harriet, Angel, Columbia, Wasaka and Donald, spend most of their time in the eagle viewing room, where volunteers answer questions. Since the birds are tethered as opposed to behind glass or caged, visitors get a close up, personal beak-to-nose experience.
Hour-long educational feeding programs are given a number of times each day, providing visitors with another opportunity to learn about the eagle, as well as participate in question and answer sessions.
The facility provides eagle, wildlife, and conservation exhibits, and several eagle observation decks complete with spotting scopes provide ample opportunity to view countless wild eagles over the adjoining Mississippi River and backwaters, as well as river traffic and other abundant species of wildlife.
The interpretive center focuses on the importance of the bald eagle as a national symbol, and its relationship to veterans of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
of American Armed Forces. The new Center also relays Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
history and the culture of the region as it relates to the bald eagle. An engaging children's area with kid-proof binoculars provides interest to all ages. The average visit at the National Eagle Center is over 80 minutes.
Facility features
- An exterior 25' high deck, as well as a river-level deck for viewing bald eagles
- Housing for rehabilitated eagles that cannot return to the wild due to their injuries
- An aviary
- Exhibit areas to allow a variety of exhibits
- preserved animal specimens
- preserved birds in flight
- Native American item
- Classrooms, lecture facilities and community gathering area
- Gift shop
- Bird care area
- Elevator