Marine Science Center Receives $20k for Bald Eagle Exhibit

The Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet is receiving a donation of $20,000 to build upon its bald eagle exhibit. The money is coming from Zev Cohen and Associates, an engineering consulting firm from Ormond Beach. The Volusia County Council voted to accept the donation in one of their recent meetings, opening the door to a series of improvements to the existing eagle living area. The Marine Science Center is home to two bald eagles: the aptly named Liberty and Freedom. Coming Soon at the Marine Science Center With the donated money, the Marine Science Center will be adding a clear roof atop the enclosure to guard from potential exposure to avian influenza, as well as upgrades to the daily care and maintenance. A new interactive exhibit will be built with a life-size replica of a bald eagle nest, allowing guests to see up close how America’s most iconic bird raises its young. The nest will measure five feet by three feet once constructed. The two eagles in the Marine Science Center’s care are considered to be non-releasable. Instead, they live under the care of the Center where they can be ambassadors for their species. New interpretive signage will be added around Liberty and Freedom to educate guests about the ecology of the bald eagle. Though bald eagles are synonymous with patriotic imagery as America’s national symbol and bird, relatively few people get the chance to see one up close. At one point in national history, the eagles were almost lost forever due to environmentally harmful agricultural practices. Bald Eagle Conservation Populations of bald eagles dropped from hundreds of thousands in the 1700s to just 417 known nesting pairs in 1963, according to the American Eagle Foundation. Later in the 60s, the book Silent Spring by biologist Rachel Carson exposed the devastation of DDT pesticides to the food chain, and their direct role in the decline of bald eagles. The banning of DDT despite the lobbying of the agricultural industry and the protection of bald eagles under several conservation laws led to a triumphant population rebound. Today, there are an estimated 71,467 breeding pairs of eagles in the lower 48 states according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The efforts to save bald eagles from extinction serve as an example of the benefits of robust conservation as a high government priority.