The Eagles Return to the Valley

Sonsie, an orphaned bald eagle rescued by the Orphaned Rehabilitation Society for Birds of Prey

The popular Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival took place this November in one of the most biologically diverse and important areas in British Columbia. Deep in the heart of “Sasquatch Country” you will find North America’s third largest gathering of bald eagles. The raptors are drawn to the area by the millions of spawning salmon that travel up the Fraser River to tributaries such as the Harrison River. The estuary is also home to incredible wildlife such as trumpeter swans, ducks, seal, bear, coyote, deer and the great white sturgeon.

For thousands of years the First Nation Peoples have lived here in harmony with the land and water and today they work with the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival to welcome visitors to teach and share the knowledge they have gained over the ages. The festival’s roots go back to1995, when the Habitat Conservation Trust Fund and the Wild Bird Trust, spearheaded by April Mol, set out to create the Harrison/Chehalis Bald Eagle Festival. In 1998, thanks to increased community involvement and new partnerships a small but very enthusiastic committee sprang to life. The committee worked to broaden the scope of the Festival and changed the name to form its new identity – Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival (FVBEF). The FVBEF is now a registered society and works hard each year to create a celebration that showcases the beauty& biodiversity of the Fraser River Valley by honouring the majestic Bald Eagle & the Cycle of the Salmon.

This year the festival offered first-rate eagle watching opportunities and a range of activities and adventures that included jet boat eco-river tours; a Chehalis River walking tour; a diverse abundance of local wildlife; environmental presentations, naturalists and interpreters; historic and ancient aboriginal sites; displays by local artists; and lots of hands on activities and entertainment.

If you would like to learn more about the festival and its events you can visit their website at http://fraservalleybaldeaglefestival.ca

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