The American Bald Eagle’s Comeback in New York State

Last week at the New NY Bridge project, where I have spent most of my working life since May 2013, one of my environmental monitors observed that several bald eagles were feasting on fish that had recently died during a cold snap and had become encased in the ice floes that were floating past the bridge. His observations reminded me of a Rochester Democrat & Chronicle article (attached below) authored by Leo Roth in January 2013 that tells the story of the bald eagle’s comeback in New York State. In 1964, Tom Rauber, a bird-watching hobbyist, located an active bald eagle’s nest located at the south end of Hemlock Lake. It turned out that this bald eagle nest was home to the last known mating pair of bald eagles in New York State. Twelve years later, the nest Rauber located became a foster home for eaglets transported from Alaska as part of a NYSDEC restoration program. In 1989 the bald eagle became self-sustaining, and today there are over 300 in New York. In 2007, the federal government removed the bald eagle from the endangered species list. There are many interesting storylines to the article including: the adverse effects of DDT and other pesticides in our environment and the efforts to ban their use; the science of ornithology and development and success of the restoration program; and the sheer majesty of our national bird and emblem. Two other storylines are most touching to me. The first is how one man who, without government funding, was filled with a love and curiosity for this great bird, took on a mission bigger than a bill-paying job (in fact in addition to his regular job) so that those who came after him, could enjoy and also take wonder in the activities of bald eagles. The second is the concept that a species, or an ecosystem, can be nurtured and to some degree restored by humans who have an understanding of the sciences that operate to sustain our complex world. Woven together, these two storylines shout out that our works of restoration, however small in scale, when guided by wonder, love and understanding, run parallel to the work of the Almighty who created everything in the beginning. I doubt at the time he began his restoration project that Tom Rauber fully understood how significant or meaningful his participation in bringing back the bald eagle would become. I suspect he now has a wonderful sense of satisfaction that what he did made a difference. After reading his story I am encouraged to be guided by wonder, love and understanding to engage in little acts of restoring in the places where I am planted. In the process of doing so, I sense I’ll be taking part in activities that God the Father intends to for me and all his children to be doing.