Refuge Manager Suzanne Baird and long time Volunteer Dick Kleen cut the ribbon to officially open the Refuge Library at the Eagle Festival on March 15, 2008 at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. photographer Tom Millier

Mike Callahan from the Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center demonstrates the character of the bald eagle at the Blackwater NWR 8th Eagle Festival on March 15, 2008. Photographer Maggie Briggs

Falconer Andrew Bullen demonstrates the characteristics of his Peregrine falcon at Blackwater NWR's 8th Eagle Festival on March 15, 2008. photographer Maggie Briggs

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) held it's 8th Annual Eagle Festival to celebrate Blackwater NWR's 75th anniversary, the 105th anniversary of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and the Grand Opening of the refuge library on March 15, 2008. All activities were free and the entrance fee to the Wildlife Drive was waived. With beautiful weather a record crowd of 3,000 visitors attended the festival. It was fabulous!

Refuge Manager Suzanne Baird and long time volunteer Dick Kleen cut the ribbon at the Grand opening ceremonies for the refuge library. In addition, Mr. Kleen donated the first 450 books on birds and other wildlife to the library. Following the opening of the library, Marty O'Connor, president of the Friends of Blackwater (FOB) presented awards to the winners of the Youth Photo Contest. The FOB sponsored the contest to celebrate the 75 anniversary of Blackwater NWR. The contest was introduced at the 12^{th Friends of Blackwater Christmas Open House on December 1, 2007 with a "Kid's How to Photograph Wildlife Program." Each participant was given a disposable camera. A winner and two honorary mentions were selected in each of the three categories in each of 2 age groups. The categories were landscapes, birds, and other wildlife. The two age groups were 11 to 16 and 10 and under. The winners each received $50, while each of the honorary mention received a gift certificate to the FOB Eagle's Nest Book Store. One of the winners Jake Mottram donated his $50 to the St. Jude's Hospital.}

More than 30 people attended the bird walk at 8:00am led by experienced volunteer birder Terry Allen. Following the walk participants attended a blue bird box construction program. The Friends of Blackwater supplied the materials for the 50 participants. Volunteer Zeeger de Wilde lead three eagle prowls beginning at 10:30am. Each eagle prowl had 3 vans to accommodate the overwhelming number of visitors who wanted to go on the eagle prowls.

Major programs beginning at 9:00am included: Night and Day Predators, How to Photograph Wildlife, Live Peregrine Falcon Program, Bald Eagles and Other Maryland Endangered Species, Native American Ron Warren flute music, Live Bald Eagle Program, Global Warming and Sea Level Rise in Your Backyard, and A History of Blackwater.

Other youth programs included: Peregrine Falcon Puppet Construction, What in the World is Carbon Sequestration Activity, Owl Pellet Activity, Eagle Migration Game, Nause Waiwash beading activity, and the Endangered Species Puppet Show. All participants in the puppet show received a free Albert the Delmarva Fox Squirrel coloring book written and illustrated by Alex Briggs and published by the Friends of Blackwater. The George Fox Middle School Ukulele Ensemble played some original and other music about the Chesapeake Bay. Candy Rabbitt played guitar and Chesapeake Bay songs. Expert birders manned a spotting scope on the Wildlife Drive to assist viewers in sighting eagles and other birds. Tom Eagle greeted visitors, especially the young, and promoted Eagle Day. Exhibitors from Carrie Murray Nature Center, Salisbury Zoo, and Raptors Eye had live birds on display including a turkey vulture, screech owl, saw whet owl, red-tailed hawk, and barred owl. Ron Warren Music, Wild Birds Unlimited Optics, Tri-State Bird Rescue and Research Exhibit, Marine Animal Rescue Exhibit, Patrick Lynch osprey photos, and John Lore and Dominic Spolitino photography exhibited most of the day. Author Middleton Evans was available to sign his books, Maryland's Great Outdoors and Rhapsody in Blue: A Celebration for North American Waterbirds.

The Hurlock Lions Club and the Chicone Ruritans supplied food and drinks during the day. The Friends of Blackwater Eagles Nest gift shop was extremely busy all day. With the warm sunny weather, the parent eagles left their two young hatchlings out in view for everyone to see on the live video camera in the visitor center most of the day. This encouraged everyone to go out with the eagle prowls or on their own to see the eagles in the wild.

Most of the activities and programs took place in two large tents outside the visitor center. Power point programs and the puppet show took place in the visitor center conference room. Approximately 32 Volunteers,19 staff members, and 31 other partners help make this one of the best events Blackwater's ever had,