Flocks of eagles are gliding into Squamish, and Eagle Watch volunteers are ready to show them to visitors.
“Everything has been going quite well. The eagles have arrived,” said Judith Knapp, program coordinator of Squamish Eagle Watch, which held an opening ceremony last month for the 20th season.
Eagles land in droves in Squamish from November through February, and Knapp said there have already been some close-up eagle sightings. “They were bathing, they were flying, they were chitter-chattering, it was just great,” she said.
With the arrival of the feathered star attractions, Eagle Watch outreach to the schools will get underway on Monday. Eagle Watch volunteers will be visiting several classrooms at Squamish Elementary and Garibaldi Highlands Elementary over the coming weeks.
A large group of out-of-town high school students and a seniors group are also expected to visit for Eagle Watch sessions.
Knapp put out a call for more volunteers earlier this fall and has had quite a few come forward, but the group could use even more.
“We are doing OK, but we still have quite a few shifts yet to fill,” she said, adding that over the Christmas break, the Eagle Run dike is inundated with visitors keen to learn about the majestic bird.
The non-profit group has also been looking for a free space to hold events, but nothing stable has popped up, Knapp said. Owners of the Brackendale Art Gallery, which is currently for sale, have stepped up and donated gallery time for a series of Sunday evening environmental presentations and performances in January. The presenters or performers will keep two-thirds of the ticket revenue, and Eagle Watch will receive the rest. The events will be on Jan. 10, 17, 24 and 31 at 8 p.m.
The only details missing are who will be on the bill. “I have to do some scrambling,” Knapp said with a chuckle.
