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| Poster by Ken Block | | Poster 2009 |
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5th Annual Prairie du Chien - Bald Eagle Appreciation Day
February 28, 2009
Come and enjoy bald eagles and the other wonderful natural resources of the Upper Mississippi River during Prairie du Chien Bald Eagle Appreciation Day on Saturday, February 28, 2009, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Event activities will be centered along the Mississippi River at the Prairie du Chien Regional Tourism Center, 211 S Main Street, and the adjacent AmericInn Lodge and Suites. Ken Block, Chief Ranger at Effigy Mounds National Monument, touted Bald Eagle Appreciation Day as a “great way to introduce you to the amazing year-round outdoor recreational and educational opportunities of the Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin & McGregor / Marquette, Iowa region located within the heart of the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge.” The 261-mile refuge is the longest river refuge in the continental U.S.
Live bald eagle programs presented by staff of the National Eagle Center of Wabasha, Minnesota, will anchor the day of presentations at the AmericInn. The first live eagle program will be presented at 11:00 a.m. and a second at 1:00 p.m. in the lobby of the AmericInn. To start the day, Neil Rettig’s “American Eagle” episode from the PBS Nature series will be shown at 9:00 a.m. in the AmericInn’s conference room. A special talk, “Bald eagles on the Refuge”, will be presented in the lobby at 9:30 a.m. by Tim Yager, FWS Refuge Manager. Biologist Pat Short, Wisconsin DNR, will then give a talk about shad, a favorite food of bald eagles, at 10:00 a.m. In between the live eagle programs, from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m., a special presentation of “Lessons from the Eagle; Music from the River,” will be given by Jon “Hawk” Stravers of the Audubon Society - Upper Mississippi River Initiative.
Educational displays and activities at the Regional Tourism Center will include agency exhibits, children’s craft activities and a life-size eagle nest replica displayed by Pat Schlarbaum, Iowa DNR Wildlife biologist (weather depending). Educational books and other items from the bookstore at Effigy Mounds will be on sale – including Neil Rettig’s “American Eagle” DVD. Student artwork will be on display in storefronts along nearby Black Hawk Avenue, in the heart of Prairie du Chien’s business and restaurant district. A second eagle’s nest replica will be available at the Effigy Mounds Visitor Center.
Throughout the day, the true centerpiece of Bald Eagle Appreciation Day will be outdoor viewing of live bald eagles. Pat Schlarbaum, Jon Stravers, Dennis Kirschbaum, Laura Johnson and personnel from the Iowa DNR, Wisconsin DNR, National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service will staff outdoor bald eagle viewing points in Prairie du Chien and other regional locations we will identify that day as having good eagle activity. These birding experts will be available to answer questions, explain exhibits and lead car caravan trips to other eagle watching locations. Maps & directions for self-guided field trips to eagle watching locations will be provided
Neil Rettig’s “American Eagle” episode from the PBS Nature series will be shown again at 5:00 p.m. in the AmericInn’s conference room to conclude the day of activities.
For more information, contact the Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce / Tourism Council at 800-732-1673, www.prairieduchien.org, pdccoc@mhtc.net; or Effigy Mounds National Monument, 563-873-3491, www.nps.gov/efmo, e-mail us. A digital bald eagle photo is available upon request to Ken Block.
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