Faces & PlCES
New National Eagle Center takes flight in Wabasha
With more than seven times the room, the new facility offers more opportunities “to foster environmental stewardship by connecting people with the eagle,” Program Director MaryBeth Garrigan said. That’s the mission of the center, which is now located on the site of the defunct Big Joe Flour Mill along the banks of the Mississippi River. Salvaged wood from the 1870s mill has been incorporated into the furniture and walls of the new $3.5 million brick building.
Inside the new facility, visitors will discover an array of exhibits which focus on the biological aspects of bald eagles and on conservation; places along the river to view eagles; and the relationship between eagles and culture.
“The bald eagle is such an integral part of our culture in the United States,” Garrigan said, citing its connection to the military, government and Native Americans. “The eagle evokes such a strong feeling or emotion of freedom.”
Veterans, especially, become emotional when they see a bald eagle like Harriet, one of the center’s three resident eagles, Garrigan said. Harriet visits the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis once a month and travels through-out the country to veterans’ memorials, schools and elsewhere. Harriet’s profile is also featured on Minnesota’s new “Support Our Troops” license plates.
Garrigan is particularly excited about the new interactive exhibits that help children understand more about eagles—their weight, their eyesight, the strength of their grip and more. “For kids, eagles are often the gateway into their experience with nature,” she said. The new center also includes classrooms and an auditorium.
Kids and adults can get nearly nose to beak with the center’s disabled eagles, Harriet, Angel and Columbia, in an in-house aviary.
But they can also view eagles in the wild through the two-story high wall of glass windows overlooking the Mississippi River. An outdoor observation deck, which is open 24/7, also provides for prime eagle watching. The center offers spotting scopes and binoculars for public use.
During the summer, the area is home to about 30 resident eagles. Wabasha, which sits at the beginning of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, is a popular spot for eagles through-out the year. Migrating eagles begin arriving in November. But most migrate through from mid-January to late March, drawn to the fish in the open waters. “Bald eagles are fishing birds,” Garrigan explained. Strong currents at the convergence of the Mississippi and Chippewa Rivers by Wabasha keep the river from freezing over. In March, hundreds of eagles sometimes perch on nearby frozen Lake Pepin en route to Canada. At night, bluffs provide a natural winter roosting spot for the eagles. Wabasha celebrates the eagle migration with a special “Soar with the Eagles” event in March.
Volunteers at the center help visitors find and spot eagles in the wild year-round. The center attracts upwards of 50,000 visitors from through-out the U.S. and 80 countries annually, Garrigan said. She hopes to double that number in the new facility. The center, located at 50 Pembroke Ave., is open year-round with summer hours from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily.
For more information, log onto www.nationaleaglecenter.org or call (651) 565-4989.