Philadelphia Eagles mascot, Swoop, with Heinz Refuge Acting Manager, Gary Stolz, during a recent visit. Photo: Bill Buchanan, USFWS

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Philadelphia Eagles mascot, Swoop, makes a surprise visit to the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum. About 100 students were present for the visit. Photo: Bill Buchanan, USFWS

Philadelphia Eagles mascot, Swoop, and Heinz Refuge Acting Manager, Gary Stolz. Photo:Bill Buchanan, USFWS

About 100 children from the Interboro School District, in Delaware County, Penn.  joined Philadelphia Eagles mascot, "Swoop", at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum to celebrate the upcoming delisting of the bald eagle as an endangered species.

The event was held on May 11, 2007 at the refuge's Cusano Environmental Education Center in southwest Philadelphia.   Refuge staff  talked about the program and how the Heinz Refuge plays a key role for several area eagles as a food source throughout their nesting season.

Acting refuge manager, Gary Stolz presided over the event and gave a short talk to the students about the bird and the endangered species program which is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In addition Stolz discussed the pivotal role played by the National Wildlife Refuge System in providing protected habitat for the eagle, as well as many other endangered and threatened plant and animal species throughout the country.

Swoop bolted in from the backdrop as Stolz was telling the story of how we almost lost the national symbol.  The students were at once surprised and captivated by this very well known mascot.  The big bird proceeded to act out much of what "M.C. Stolz" was saying and 100 pairs of young eyes never seemed to leave the big green and white figure.

The exact date for the official delisting of the Bald Eagle has not been set as of yet but indications are that it will be in the next month or two.  Along with several other bird species, such as osprey and peregrine falcon, the bald eagle was in serious trouble as their numbers dropped in the early part of the second half of the 20^th Century.  One of the primary culprits was the use of the pesticide, DDT, which had caused thinning of the egg shells for several species of birds. This, along with habitat loss had pushed many of these majestic birds to edge of extinction.

Coincidentally, as we celebrate the dramatic comeback of the eagle, we also are celebrating the centennial of the birth of one of the people who first made the world aware of the consequences we were facing in the mid 1900's through the over-use of chemicals in our environment.  That person was Rachel Carson who wrote several books including the one that would serve as a key factor in the creation of the modern environmental movement, "Silent Spring". 

Rachel Carson, who was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania and was also an employee of the Service (and it's predecessor, the Bureau of Sport Fisheries) would defy all odds of that time, as a woman, by becoming a respected biologist and then go on to achieve critical acclaim for her writings in the scientific field.

The Heinz Refuge is celebrating both the symbol of our nation and its remarkable comeback from the edge of extinction as well as "one of our own" and the role she played in making the world aware of the fact nature was not there simply to seize and assault, but to use wisely and to protect, mostly from ourselves.

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