Events

During the month of November, bald eagles by the thousands congregate in the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve along the shores of the Chilkat River to feast on the late salmon run. During this time, the Chilkat River is one of the only rivers that fails to freeze over, giving the eagles a chance to gorge. Due to a geologic anomaly, warm water from deep underground comes to the surface in an area known as the “council grounds.” Because of this ancient singularity, a late run of Chum Salmon evolved to spawn in November and December. It is not uncommon to see many other species of wildlife such as Grizzly Bears (Brown Bears), American Dippers, Mergansers, Mink and more feasting on the Chum.

The American Bald Eagle Foundation invites you to join us in celebrating this amazing event here in Haines Alaska. 

You will find our Events Run Down of all the things the American Bald Eagle Foundation will be doing during the festival! Along with very special guest speakers, we will have many interactive workshops such as Owl Pellet Dissection (my personal favorite), Capture Clinics where you will learn how to help injured birds in a proper way and many other fun workshops. On Saturday, we will host a raffle along with dinner and two amazing guest speakers on various topics. 

Guest Speakers: Please note, we will have speakers presenting throughout the festival. These speeches will be given at different times on different days. Please call the ABEF for more information on dates and times. 

Dr. Heather Jay Huson is an Associate Professor of Animal Genetics in the Department of Animal Science at Cornell University.  Dr. Huson has received her B.S. in Animal Science at Cornell University in 1997 and Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks in 2011. She is the director of the Cornell Raptor Program which promotes education, conservation, propagation and research.

Speech Title: Musk Ox: How a prehistoric Arctic mammal brought the US Airforce, USDA, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Palmer Musk Ox Farm, and Cornell University together. 

 Clara Reid is an avian research intern for Wildlife Conservation Society in Canada, a research focused environmental non-profit, where she is supporting research into the cumulative effects of human activities on breeding birds in central Yukon.  Ms. Reid holds a B.S. in biology and environmental studies from University of Victoria, Canada 2019. Her interests lie in creating more respectful and sustainable relationships between people and natural places through ecological research, science-based environmental management and hands-on outdoor activities. 

Speech Title: Making a Home in a Disturbed Landscape: Breeding Birds in Revegetating Placer Mines in Central Yukon.