American Bald Eagle Foundation          April 2019


(e)agle newsletter



www.baldeagles.org   113 Haines Highway Haines, AK 99827 907.766.3094
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Museum Updates

The ABEF natural history museum at the ABEF has recently received some updates. The specimens and interpretations in the museum are constantly changing and moving to best convey the educational goals at the Foundation. This spring, Katie Dickerson, the Curator of Collections, has been hard at work developing a dynamic, interactive, and cohesive space for visitors to explore.
When visitors enter the Front Gallery, they can interact with the wall of fur mounts of Alaskan wildlife, read about biomes and ecosystems with the Alaska Biomes and Chilkat Community interpretations, and see the differences between brown and black bears with one of our bear exhibits. While looking around, the new “Life on the Chilkat River” lettering on the wall encourages guests to look up at the wall mural which celebrates the plants, animals, and traditions in our valley.
Boardwalk Installment

In the ABEF raptor center, a large construction project got underway in March to place a boardwalk in the aviaries. Staff has been working to finish the boardwalk before the tourism season gets underway at the end of the month.
The path in the aviaries was previously only gravel. This gave visitors a clear guide to where to walk when viewing our ambassadors from a respectful distance, but it was not accessible for those with disabilities. Wheelchairs and walkers had a hard time navigating the space. With the boardwalk, all guests will now be able to easily navigate the aviaries and view all of the avian ambassadors at the ABEF.
Sidney Campbell, CPBT-KA
Sidney Campbell, the Raptor Program Manager at the ABEF, recently became a Certified Professional Bird Trainer-Knowledge Assessed (CPBT-KA). The certification is given by the International Avian Trainers Certification Board, (IATCB), an independent certification body that develops and manages examinations to certify trainers and educators in the field of avian behavior. 
The exam that Campbell took was comprehensive and required months of studying on the subjects of husbandry, training, enrichment, and modern standards for care for a variety of avian species in human care. She traveled to Ketchikan for the exam in October of 2018 and became officially certified in November. Campbell is one of two certified professional bird trainers in Alaska and 107 nationwide.
Earth Day Program

The Earth Day festivities in Haines happened over Easter Weekend.  This year’s Earth Day theme focused on Plastic Pollutions and Solutions and was sponsored by Haines Friends of Recycling. The ABEF was a part of the Earth Day Ad Hoc Committee, helping plan the events for Friday and Saturday.
The event welcomed speakers to present on different ways plastics are negatively affecting the planet and offer up solutions the public can use to do their part. The speakers covered topics from microplastics to recycling used commercial fishing nets. Josh Sanko, the ABEF’s Program Coordinator, gave a presentation on the effects of plastics on raptors and other birds of prey.  A plastic bag ban ordinance is currently being put together in Haines, and a panel met Friday to discuss with the public the importance of removing excess plastic from the area. Other Earth Day events included a poster contest at the local school, community cleanups, and a film screening.
When you become a member of the American Bald Eagle Foundation, you’re helping to fund educational programs such as our Youth Raptor Program, reduced price programs for low-income families or groups, as well as the resources we need to give our avian ambassadors the best possible care via husbandry, enrichment and training. Interested in joining?