The Catskill Chronicle

Lackawaxen, PA and Bethel, NY – Join the Delaware Highlands Conservancy on a guided eagle-viewing bus trip, scheduled on multiple weekends throughout January and February. Learn from an expert guide and take a scenic drive on a heated bus throughout the Upper Delaware River region to look for and learn about magnificent bald eagles and their habitat.

Seats on trips are limited, and reservations are required, so reserve your space today for the following 2014 winter trips (Fee: $15 for members, $20 for non-members). Call the Conservancy at 570-226-3164 or 845-583-1010 or email info@delawarehighlands.org to register unless otherwise noted.

• January 18 – 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

• February 1 – Tour with NEPA Audubon Society, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Call Bob at 570-676-9969 or email jeanbob@ptd.net for reservations.

• February 8 –9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

• February 15 – Marion "Becky" Finch Memorial Excursion; 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

The trips start at the Conservancy’s Winter Field Office in Lackawaxen, PA. Be sure to dress warmly in layers and wear waterproof boots. Bring binoculars, camera, snacks, and a bagged lunch. Check http://www.DelawareHighlands.org for the most up-to-date information and any additional trips. Refunds are not given in the event of cancelled reservations.

The Conservancy’s Winter Field Office is provided by the National Park Service and is a center of information for visitors looking to learn more about viewing and protecting eagles. Visitors can pick up information about the bald eagle in the Upper Delaware River region, get maps and directions to eagle viewing locations, watch a short documentary, and view new interpretative exhibits. The Lackawaxen office is staffed on Saturdays and Sundays throughout January and February and open to visitors from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy has also partnered with the NPS and the New York State Department of Conservation to maintain two well-marked viewing areas in the Mongaup Valley on the Rio and Mongaup Falls reservoirs. These viewing blinds are also staffed by Conservancy volunteers on weekends through the winter season, and visitors can look through binoculars and spotting scopes to see magnificent bald eagles in the wild. Visit http://www.DelawareHighlands.org/Eagles for directions and information about eagle viewing on your own.

On January 25, join the Conservancy, PPL, the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau, and other local organizations for an educational, fun (and free) Eagle Day for the whole family, located at PPL’s Lake Wallenpaupack Environmental Learning Center in Hawley, PA. Enjoy a presentation with live birds from Bill Streeter, help to build an eagle’s nest, and participate in other fun activities.

The Upper Delaware River region is one of the largest wintering habitats for eagles in the northeast United States because of abundant clean water and large, undisturbed stands of trees. Protected lands in Sullivan County, NY and Pike and Wayne Counties in PA provide a safe haven for these migratory birds, as well as breeding eagles that live here year-round. Twenty years ago there was just one eagle’s nest in PA and one in NY; now, there are hundreds in each state.

The Delaware Highlands Conservancy works with landowners and communities to protect the healthy lands, clean waters, eagles and other wildlife, and locally sustainable economies of the Upper Delaware River region. For more information, please call 570-226-3164, 845-583-1010, or send an email to info@delawarehighlands.org.