(by Anita Fernandez)
When Tina Morris was just a young student at Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, NY, she embarked on a journey unlike anything most of us can imagine. In the spring of 1975, Tina was selected to reintroduce Bald Eagles into New York State in the hopes that the species would be able to once again become a staple of eastern North America after suffering the devastating effects of DDT. In 1976 she became one of the first females to work with raptor reintroduction, bringing her car, very few possessions, her two dogs, and living alone at the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge near Seneca Falls, NY for two years. Tina worked to raise a total of seven “hacked” Bald Eagles to fledging, with the added challenge of not allowing the Bald Eagles to realize she was doing so and imprinting on her. From keeping her tent safe from blustering storms to driving around the refuge for hours looking for roadkill to feed the eaglets, Tina is an icon in the pursuit of returning this magnificent bird to the Northeast. Although at the time Tina could only wonder and worry at the birds’ survival once they left the area at the end of each season, one of “her” eaglets was found decades later and lived to an astounding 38 years in the wild, providing confirmation of the project’s success.
Join us Tuesday, June 17 at the McLane Center in Concord for an inspiring presentation by Tina Morris that will help us all remember the dedication and work that went into recovery efforts each time we are fortunate enough to look up and glimpse a Bald Eagle. RSVP here.