The National Eagle Center welcomes nearly 80,000 annual visitors and provides education as well as the opportunity to get within feet of its five rescued eagles without glass or cages as barriers. These Ambassador eagles include four bald eagles and one golden eagle. Visitors also spend hours touring 15,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.
The Center is located in Wabasha, MN, on the banks of the Mississippi River and provides year-round views of the steady population of wild eagles. This area is especially popular to wintering bald eagles, since the river in the area does not freeze over.
“We inform about eagles, but also the environment,” said Eileen Hanson, Director of Public Relations for the National Eagle Center. Since eagles are at the top of the food chain, a major part of the organization’s mission is to provide education that links the national symbol to the health of the ecosystem.
“The flourishing population of eagles is directly correlated to clean water and healthy fish and bugs, as well as the overall health of the environment,” she continued.
The Center is open throughout the year and hosts several special events. Presently, the National Eagle Center is gearing up for its Veterans Day observance, Nov. 7-15. Free admission is offered to active military and veterans during this week. On Nov. 7, the Center, in conjunction with the local VFW, will hold a flag raising ceremony.
“When veterans and active military members come so close to our eagles, their experience is often more personal and meaningful than it is to other visitors. Our Veterans Day observance event is our way of honoring the relationship between our national symbol and the military,” said Hanson.
With the Wabash, MN, area being the hot spot for winter eagle nesting, the Center offers eagle viewing field trips with its education staff from Nov. to April.
March is an especially busy month as the organization celebrates the spring migratory pattern of thousands of eagles passing through Wabash. The organization calls this month-long event Soar with Eagles, and offers eagle viewing and other special events.
As it often goes, success is accompanied with challenges. Space is a challenge, and the National Eagle Center is currently exploring solutions. It’s the organization’s goal to accommodate its growing visitor attendance and to provide appropriate space for its retired eagles and for active eagle training. In addition, the Center has the opportunity to acquire a collection of 20,000 museum-quality items that reflect the eagle’s historical and cultural impact in the U.S. The organization will need space to curate the collection at museum standards.
The National Eagle Center began as a group of volunteers sharing views of wintering bald eagles with visitors on an observation deck along the river in 1989. From this time, the organization, in partnership with the City of Wabasha, opened its own facility where visitors enjoy magnificent views of wild eagles and educational exhibits along with meeting the organization’s resident eagle Ambassadors.
Learn more about the National Eagle Center by visiting its website at www.nationaleaglecenter.org or its Facebook page.
