West Central Illinois families can see how the eagles fly next weekend in Fulton and Mason counties.
The annual Fulton-Mason Eagle Day will be Saturday, February 1st at various locations all along the Illinois River. The events are free and open to the public. Activities will include live raptor programs, hands-on activities and crafts for kids and wildlife viewing.
Dickson Mounds Museum will host a suite of activities from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visitors can interact with scientists and wildlife experts, as well as view displays featuring native and invasive fish and wildlife. Kids can enjoy make-and-take arts and crafts and participate in hands-on science activities focused on wetlands, waterfowl and invasive species.
The World Bird Sanctuary will present “Raptor Awareness” at 1 and 3 p.m. in the Dickson Mounds Museum auditorium. This one-hour program, featuring live hawks, owls and an eagle, will highlight their important relationship to the environment and some of these creatures’ unique qualities through free-flight demonstrations. Tickets will only be available on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 9 a.m. in the museum’s lobby on the day of the event. Seating is limited. Food will be available for purchase from The Lunchwagon.
The Nature Conservancy and the University of Illinois Springfield herkildsen Field Station will host a campfire and set up spotting scopes for wildlife viewing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Emiquon Preserve’s Wetland Observatory, located off Illinois Route 97/78 in Lewistown.
A guided hike of The Nature Conservancy’s Ridge Trail, overlooking the Emiquon Preserve, is a new activity for this year’s event. Participants should meet at 10 a.m. at the UIS Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon, 11316 N. Prairie Road, Lewistown, to begin the hike. Illinois State Museum Curator of Anthropology Brooke Morgan will present information about the area’s archaeological past during this approximately 2-mile out-and-back hike. Participants are encouraged to dress appropriately for the weather and for traversing uneven terrain.
Visitors to the Wetland Observatory and participants on the Ridge Hike may earn a collectible sticker badge as part of Eagle Day, which kicks off the yearlong celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Emiquon Preserve restoration project. Those who collect enough badges will be entered into a drawing for a grand prize opportunity with Conservancy staff. Additional information on other programs to earn sticker badges will be available soon.
Several activities are being held in Mason County. Havana Riverfront Park, located off North Schrader Avenue, offers self-guided wildlife viewing and a simulated eagle’s nest for photo opportunities. At the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chautauqua National Wildlife Refuge, 19031 E. County Road 2110N, visitors can explore and view wildlife, build a birdhouse to take home and climb the 100-foot historic observation tower from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For this day only, weather permitting, the Automobile Tour will also be open.
For up-to-date event details and the schedule, please visit the Therkildsen Field Station at Emiquon on Facebook or the Dickson Mounds tab at illinoisstatemuseum.org.