Bald Eagles are part of the fabric of the natural landscape on Vancouver Island. Mountainaire Avian Rescue Society (MARS) has, therefore, put together a public celebration of these amazing creatures at the Campbell River Bald Eagle Festival (EagleFest) on Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Maritime Heritage Centre.
Each year hundreds of bald eagles come to our shores to feast on the spawning herring that arrive in our coastal waters by the millions in late February and early March.
Many of these birds have spent time here waiting since the late fall salmon spawn, and now is your opportunity to learn more about them.
Desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures, which is where this year’s theme of “Unsung Heroes” comes into play. MARS will be presenting some “Unsung Heroes” with certificates of appreciation to honour their role in making a difference by helping individual wildlife or preserving their habitat.
“Whether it’s heroically diving into the water to untangle a pair of feuding eagles or bravely scaling tall trees to save eagles in trouble, MARS couldn’t successfully rescue and rehabilitate as many birds as we do without these folks stepping in to help,” says Maj Birch, Founder and Manager of MARS. “It is a real honour to be able to recognize them at EagleFest.”
EagleFest highlights include:
- Photo contest with great prizes, sponsored by Photo Tech Foto Source
- Bird Photography workshop with Mike Yip
- Sophie Hindmarch speaking about owl studies she has conducted
- See live eagles, hawks, and owls up close with educators from The Raptors and MARS
- Photo ops with one of MARS’ ambassador birds of prey
- Children’s activities, including face painting, crafts and hands-on exhibits
- Displays by several local partners dedicated to wildlife and ecological conservation
- Refreshments and MARS merchandise for sale
- Harrison the Fraser Valley Bald Eagle Festival mascot will be on hand to welcome visitors
- Incredible taxidermy displays by Steve Howard and Gerry Powers
This is a great way to spend the day, learning about wildlife in our area, supporting MARS’ fundraising efforts, and enjoying the amazing natural world around us.
EagleFest is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 23 at the Campbell River Maritime Heritage Centre. Admission is $5 per person or $10 for a family. MARS members get in free.
More information is available at www.wingtips.org.