ABEF Director Cheryl McRoberts (right) and Raptor Curator Dan Hart display letter & check
by Roger Maynard
HAINES – The American Bald Eagle Foundation (ABEF) in Haines has received $100,000 from an anonymous donor, specifically for the purpose of building Eagle flight enclosures on the land recently donated by Former Haines Mayor Robert Henderson.
“We received a phone call from the Schwab Charitable Fund last week, and they wanted to know our physical address so they could ship the check by 2-day express,” says Director of Operations Cheryl McRoberts, “It was a total surprise, and at first we were inclined not to believe it. When it arrived, I gave the envelope to Dave to open and his jaw just dropped – it was a check for $100,000. We have no idea where it came from – we have over 300 members world-wide.”
McRoberts says there is no way to know whether the donation was from a local source (Haines), or from somewhere else. “The accompanying letter from Schwab specifically said not to send a membership, receipt, thankyou note, or any other communication because the donor wants to remain anonymous.”
Terry Jacobson works on mew and enclosures. Background: Raptor center under construction
Construction:
The planned flight enclosures will be in a field that is now used for horse pasture, and are designed to help retrain birds to fly. Each will be 80 feet long, 25 feet wide, and 25 feet high, and made of chain-link mesh with a protective covering on the inside to protect the birds. The facility will require a couple of mews to house the birds, a place to store feed and a place for employees to work during inclement weather. “Most of the construction materials are on-hand,” according to McRoberts, “And now we actually have the money to make it happen. When Mr. Henderson donated the property, he wanted the facility where he could see it from his living room window — now it looks like we can do that.”
The Foundation already has an ambitious construction project underway, nearly doubling the size of the facility with the addition of a raptor center as a wing on the existing natural history museum. Additionally, three mews and a cage to house the birds are under construction on the southeast corner of the property. The present construction is funded by a combination of state grants and donations by members and others.
Senator Murkowski admires Sarah, a Great Horned Owl, exhibited by Eva Matthews.
New Programs:
Most impressive is the recent addition of live birds to the facility under the supervision of Raptor Curator Dan Hart. A normal day consists of between 1 and 4 live bird showings, depending on demand. The foundation notifies the Visitors Center and other tours of the times for live bird presentations, and they’re becoming one of ABEF’s most popular attractions. “People just love getting close to live birds,” says McRoberts, “Most of our live showings are sold out.”
For the first time ABEF is partnering with the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine to host up to 4 senior and graduate-level avian medicine students. The Auburn curriculum requires each student to complete an “externship”—a research field trip – as part of their graduation requirement. The students will be visiting the raptor center in Juneau, evaluate their birds, and will then visit the ABEF in Haines and evaluate theirs. Following the externship, the students will develop a thesis regarding either the avian population of the Chilkat Valley, or the raptor rehabilitation program in the Chilkat Valley. The students are scheduled from November 7th through November 20th – and therefore will be here during the Eagle Festival.
Dave Olerud speaks to a group of tourists
Economic Impact
Each year ABEF hosts the annual Bald Eagle Festival, attracting more than 200 people to Haines during November, the beginning of the lean months for local businesses. The Bald Eagle Festival is widely advertised and draws visitors from around the world. And, of course, the attendees buy hotel rooms, eat in local restaurants, shop locally, and take advantage of transportation and other services.
Haines Tourism Director Lori Stepansky confirms that the Eagle Foundation is becoming more of a draw. “The live bird presentation…we love it,” says Stepansky, “Each day the Eagle Foundation calls and lets us know their tour times.” The live bird presentation is popular with cruise ship passengers as well as independent travelers. Overall, there is no doubt that the presence of the Eagle Preserve and the Eagle Foundation is an economic plus for Haines.
This October, Stepansky expects to pitch the ABEF program to the Alaska Media Road Show, the signature event of the Alaska Travel Industry Association. The Road Show offers North America’s most influential travel writers the opportunity to learn about new and developing tour opportunities. ABEF’s program has matured to the point that it is likely to capture the interest of this group.
The 16th annual Bald Eagle Festival
The 16th Annual Alaska Bald Eagle Festival in Haines will be November 10 – 14. This years program features Wildlife Photographer Weldon Lee, The Alaska String Band featuring the Zahasky family, a chocolate extravaganza, a silent auction, workshops in Klukwan and more.
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Thank you Roger, Great Article We do appreciate it!!!
Cheryl McRoberts, Director Of Operations