Eagle Festival Participants dissect owl pellets at Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

Mass Audubon staffer Emily Carriero leads a live owl demonstration at Parker River NWR for the 3rd Annual Eagle Festival

This February, the third annual Merrimack River Eagle Festival co-sponsored and co-created by Parker River National Wildlife Refuge along with Massachusetts Audubon, Joppa Flats Sanctuary, was a resounding success!  Over 2000 people attended this local event, enjoying live animal programs, eagle tours, kids crafts and more.   

Twenty years ago, the Bald Eagle did not come to the Merrimack; years of pollution, and the endangered status of the eagle stacked the odds against them.  But as the Merrimack was cleaned, and the eagles rebounded, they began to return to this historic wintering ground.  To highlight and celebrate their return to the area, the Eagle Festival was created. 

This year, Eagle Festival activities included guided bus tours to eagle viewing sites in Newburyport, naturalist staffed viewing sites for self guiding tours, a live eagle demonstration at city hall, and kids activities and live birds of prey at Mass Audubon's Joppa Flats sanctuary.  At Parker River National Wildlife Refuge's headquarters and visitor center, activities included live owl demonstrations and owl pellet dissection, as well as performances of "Birds in their Habitat," a comedic and creative show involving bird masks with actor/naturalist Henry Lappen. 

This event has become a local favorite, connecting people to nature in Newburyport, and highlighting the conservation success of the Bald Eagle.