For the first time in a long time, Thor Froslev won’t be overseeing the annual Eagle Count in Brackendale.
The event will still take place on Jan. 8, but Froslev admits that with time passing on and the absence of some key volunteers, it was time to hand over the job.
Eagle numbers have been dropping in recent years, and the task of finding the eagles has gotten a little harder as the birds have found more secluded places. A huge factor is the number of salmon, which the birds feed on.
“There used to be a lot more eagles here,” Froslev adds.
The Squamish Environmental Society and the Eagle Watch program will be handling the count this year.
Thor and Dorte Froslev will still be busy at the Brackendale Art Gallery next month because the space will play host to the associated Eagle Fest.
The lineup includes music from the likes of BAG favourite Valdy as well as the Scott Verbeek Quintet.
“His father’s a schoolteacher here,” Froslev says.
There will also be talks from Adam Taylor on the “Living Dinosaurs” of Howe Sound, Graham Fuller on eco-violence’s role in fiction and Michael Allen on bears and wolves.
As well, the Brackendale Art Gallery Theatre Teahouse Society is holding a Celebration of Eagles on Jan. 21 from noon to 5 p.m., with music, art displays and local microbrews.
As far as the eagle count goes, one thing remains the same. Froslev still does not like to offer any specific predictions about the numbers.
“I don’t want to guess,” he says.
For the calendar for the Eagle Fest, see www.brackendaleartgallery.com. For more information on the count or to help, email [email protected].
