Once again, the eagles are landing in Squamish.
Judith Knapp was aflutter taping up Eagle Watch educational posters on her red truck she calls “Rosie” on the Mamquam River dike last Thursday afternoon.
Knapp, program coordinator of the Squamish Eagle Watch Program, is ramping up for eagle viewing season and the influx of thousands of tourists and schoolchildren who will flock to Squamish to see the majestic bird. Knapp uses her truck as a makeshift booth to display educational materials.
Seventy per cent of North America’s bald eagles are found in B.C. and Alaska, according to Eagle Watch.
Squamish, and Brackendale in particular, are renowned for the bald eagles.
Each winter since the mid-1990s, volunteers have guided and educated visitors about the eagle.
The record number of bald eagles was set in the Squamish Valley in 1994 at 3,769 eagles. The record drew an increase in visitors, so the Squamish Eagle Watch Volunteer Interpreter Program was established in 1995. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the program.
Eagles arrive from late October to February, peaking in December, Knapp said as she pulled an eagle egg replica out of a bag and rested it on the truck’s bumper. The off-white eagle egg is about 25 per cent larger and heavier than a chicken egg.
The goal of the volunteer program is to raise awareness and understanding of the bald eagle population and educate people on ethical viewing practices.
“While [volunteers] are on the dike, they are meeting people…. They are showing you the eagles through the scopes, they are talking about all the eagle information that we have up around the dike, but they are also ambassadors for the Sea to Sky Corridor,” she said.
“They are ambassadors for Squamish first and foremost, for the eagles, and then they also talk about the aboriginal component and how precious they are to aboriginal people. We also talk about preserving nature.”
Volunteers saw more than 3,560 people at Eagle Run Park on Government Road from Nov. 30, 2014 to Jan. 17 this year, according to the 2014/2015 Eagle Watch Program year-end report.
Knapp said she is concerned about how many volunteers there will be in future years. About 35 volunteers are currently active, but many are aging, she said. New, younger volunteers are needed.
“Let’s face it, Squamish is becoming a young family community and if we can get young parents involved and their children, we can grow the program and keep it going.”
A training session is mandatory before becoming a volunteer, and volunteers must sign up for at least three shifts. The volunteers will set up between 10 a.m and 2:30 p.m. for the eagle-viewing season. Shifts are 10 a.m. to 12:30 or 12:30 to 3 p.m.
Being a volunteer is a lot of fun, according to Judith Vetsch, who has volunteered with Eagle Watch for 15 years.
“It is a great learning experience,” she said. “You learn about the eagles, you learn about other wildlife around, occasionally we see deer on the other side or bears, coyotes… and so it is a great learning experience.”
It is also fun to meet the people who come from all corners of the globe to see the eagles, Vetsch said.
But the non-profit group is finding it difficult to access properties.
“When I have groups visiting, I have no place to take them,” Knapp said. “Every place I have tried they want to charge us $150 or $200 for just an hour.”
“We have no money for that,” she said, adding the Brackendale Art Gallery is the only spot that has opened its doors to the program for free.
The only major fundraiser for Eagle Watch takes place Friday (Oct. 16). The Gala Dinner and Fundraiser is at the Executive Suites Hotel. Last year the event brought in $5,900 for the program.
For tickets, call 604-815-0048 or email [email protected]. Opening ceremonies for the Eagle Watch season are slated for the end of October.
