Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (Virginia) held its fourth annual Eagle Festival on March 13 to celebrate the centennial of the National Wildlife Refuge System and the Service's role in restoring our national symbol, the bald eagle, to a stable population. The event featured all sorts of unusual, educational and just plain fun activities.

Topping the popularity list were the live bald eagle demonstration with Mike Callahan from Nanjemoy Environmental Education Center, the live peregrine falcon program with falconer Andrew Bullen, "Raptors Rule," with Liz Smith from Wildfowl Trust, and "50 Wild Years at the Salisbury Zoo" with Jim Rapp, zoo director. After getting a close-up view of the birds of prey, visitors went on one of the three Eagle Prowls to look for the birds in the wild.

Other programs included "Eagles of the Chesapeake Bay Area" with biologist Dixie Birch and "Eagles as Part of the Native American Culture" with Charles C. Clark, IV (Little Owl). An art contest gave kids the chance to draw eagles. Contestants, who were asked to draw the eagles talking, wrote some very interesting comments. The kids were also able to create and take home an egg-laying eagle, a paper peregrine puppet, and a gourd bird house. They learned what owls eat by exploring the contents of an owl pellet, and they learned through a puppet show what problems the refuge has with invasive species.

Live owls, hawks, turkey vultures and other birds of prey were on display throughout the day. The birds came from Carrie Murray Nature Center, Wildfowl Trust and the Salisbury Zoo. Zora and David Aiken and Carolyn Stearns, children's book authors, and David Harp, illustrator for "The Great Marsh," were on hand to sign and talk about their books. Adults and kids alike also visited displays by Tri-State Bird Rehab and Wild Birds Unlimited throughout the day.

NORTHEAST REGION, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE -- Conserving the Nature of the Northeast