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February 1, 2011Thursday, Feb. 3
February 3, 2011Raptors claim the sky at the 6th annual Eagle Expo Feb. 10-12 in Morgan City.
The popular three-day expo features seminars from wildlife and nature experts, boat tours to view eagles and nests, an opportunity to meet fellow birders and an informative presentation featuring living raptors.
Save Our American Raptors’ (SOAR) appearance – set for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10 – includes a falcon, hawk, owl, black vulture and a Bald Eagle. SOAR has the backing of the Barataria Terrebonne National Estuary Program (BTNEP) and the Louisiana University Marine Consortium.
The Eagle Expo pays tribute annually to the return of the American Bald Eagle to south Louisiana.
For years, the creature was on the endangered species list; it was officially removed in June 2007. Greater public awareness and education, along with tougher laws banning the use of harmful pesticides such as DDT, have led to the repopulation of the bald eagle throughout the U.S.
Today, there are 284 active bald eagle nests in Louisiana – including a large concentration in St. Mary and Terrebonne parishes.
And a record number of participants are expected to flock to St. Mary to enjoy the expo, according to Carrie Stansbury, director of the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau.
“We’re really excited about showing off all our region has to offer at this expo,” she says. “People are always surprised to see you can stop along the side of the road and see bald eagles here. Sometimes we take that for granted.”
Back by popular demand is Louisiana’s renowned wildlife photographer CC Lockwood, who is conducting a seminar on Thursday, Feb. 10, at the Atchafalaya Golf Course in Patterson. In addition to authoring several photography books, Lockwood’s had his work displayed in such prominent publications as the Smithsonian Magazine and National Geographic Magazine. Following the workshop, participants will take an afternoon boat trip to Bayou Black to try out their newly learned skills.
Tours to view eagles are set for Friday, Feb. 11, and Saturday, Feb. 12. Participants can choose between a tour of the Atchafalaya Basin, Lake Verret, Turtle Bayou and Bayou Black. Each offers something different, be it flourishing marine life, birds of prey, eagles and osprey or local wildlife.
Nature walks and birding tours led by ornithologist Michael Seymour and Friends of the Refuge member Donovan Garcia are also offered throughout the expo.
BTNEP director Kerry St. Pe’ and Lockwood are keynote guests at the Expo dinner Feb. 11, held at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City.
St. Pe’ will revisit the impact of last April’s BP Deepwater Horizon spill on the estuary.
And on Feb. 12, speakers include Phillip Vasseur, a master’s student in Dr. Paul Leberg’s lab at the University of Louisiana, and Dr. Javier G. Naverez. Vasseur is studying how the relationship between habitat edges and patch-size affect the ground reproductive success of painting buntings. Meanwhile, Dr. Naverez has more than 12 years of experience in raptor medicine and surgery and is director of the Wildlife Hospital of Louisiana.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ staffer Sealy is also offering an overview of the American Bald Eagle.
Registration for the entire three days of the Eagle Expo is $95 for adults, $45 for children, and includes admission to the SOAR Birds of Prey presentation, one boat tour, Saturday’s breakfast, Brownell Park and Bayou Teche Walking tours and a commemorative T-shirt.
Additional boat tours and Friday night’s dinner are among the add-on options.
One-day registration is offered on Saturday only. The $70 adult/$35 child admission price includes entry to the day’s seminars, a boat tour and breakfast.
Parents note: children under age 12 must wear a life-jacket, which you must provide.
To learn more about the Eagle Expo, call Stansbury at (985) 395-4905 or visit http://eagles.btnep.org or www.cajuncoast.com.
