[/av_textblock] [av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” av_uid=’av-2pthw4′ custom_class=” admin_preview_bg=”] July 20, 2012
Celebrating “American Eagle Day” on June 20th – Singer/Songwriter & Actress Dolly Parton and American Eagle Foundation president Al Louis Cecere take a moment to visit with Bald Eagle ‘Mr. Lincoln’ and reflect upon the majesty and symbolism of the USA’s National Bird. For over two decades, Parton’s Dollywood park in Pigeon Forge, TN has been a major supporter of the AEF’s (www.eagles.org) work to care for and protect eagles and other birds of prey. (Photo: Business Wire).
The American Eagle Foundation (www.eagles.org) has been a major proponent of establishing a special national day to celebrate the Bald Eagle’s symbolism and dramatic recovery from the brink of extinction.
For several years, the United States Senate and House of Representatives have unanimously passed resolutions recognizing “American Eagle Day” on June 20th, and Governors from 41 states have issued proclamations to date.
American citizens and organizations are encouraged to develop educational tools for use in schools, and to observe “American Eagle Day” with appropriate ceremonies and other activities.
The Bald Eagle was adopted as the central image in the USA’s national emblem by the Second Continental Congress on June 20, 1782.
The dramatic recovery of America’s Bald Eagle population is an “endangered species success story” and an inspirational example for other wildlife conservation efforts around the world. In 1963, the number of nesting pairs of Bald Eagles in the lower 48 States had dropped to about 417. That number has now increased to over 12,000 nesting pairs in the same territory.
Because of this comeback, the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service officially delisted the bald eagle from Endangered Species Act protection on June 28, 2007. However, Bald and Golden eagles are still strictly protected under the Bald & Golden Eagle Protection Act of 1940.
The AEF invites the public to visit its “live” Eagle Nest Cam on American Eagle Day, where viewers can watch a Bald Eagle pair care for their three eaglets on four cameras.
The conservation group will be releasing a captive-hatched Florida bald eaglet into the wilds of the Great Smoky Mountains on June 20th to honor a fallen U.S. Soldier, Private First Class Estell Lee Turner, who served in the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles, completed 60 missions, and was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
The AEF operates a “Wings of America” birds of prey show and “Eagle Mountain Sanctuary” bald eagle exhibit at Dollywood featuring non-releasable eagles and other birds of prey.
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