Bald Eagle Cams in Secondary Education
This video produced by Montrose Restoration is an excellent resource that shows the cause of the bald eagle population decline and how scientists were able to restore the population. I suggest using this video as an introduction to both the plight of the bald eagle and the importance of wildlife cams in species conservation.
Wildlife webcams are an excellent way to connect students with nature in new and engaging ways. According to researchers, spending several minutes a day watching eagle cams leads to an increase in interest and understanding about eagles and an increased motivation in protecting the species.3
According to AP Environmental Science curriculum framework topic 9.9:
students are expected to be able to explain how species become endangered and strategies to combat the problem.
students are also expected to use data and evidence to support a solution to species endangerment. Incorporating the use of wildlife cams into your AP ES class is an excellent, fun way to meet this objective.
Wildlife cams are one way to educate students in the work that is being done to protect endangered species as they are an excellent way to engage students in learning about solutions to the problem.
Bald Eagle Nest Webcams
Bald eagle nest webcams provide an opportunity for students to connect with nature at a deeper level as it gives them a “front seat” into the lives of eagles.
Students are able to view the birds up close and learn about their nesting and feeding behaviors.
Specifically, I have my students follow the Duke Farms Eagle Cam located in Hillsborough, NJ. I have chosen this location because of its close proximity to the school where I teach.
The Duke Farms Eagle Cam has 10 million viewers worldwide! The cam serves as an excellent resource for getting the general public interested in bald eagle conservation.2
The camera being used at this location is a Bosch Autodome IP 500 IR. It is known for its high quality images and for providing images during both day and night. The camera has captured engaging moments such as eggs hatching and scary moments such as when a red-tailed hawk attacked the nest in 2013.5
Incorporating bald eagle cams into the
Utilizing wildlife cams in the classroom enables students to become part of the solution to the issue of endangered species. Students can participate in citizen science projects by collecting data for scientists. They can also spread awareness and a conservation message about endangered species.
Specifically, I have incorporated the bald eagle nest cam when discussing:
AP ES topic 8.7: Persistent Organic Pollutants
AP ES topic 8.8: Bioaccumulation and Biomagnification
AP ES topic 9.9: Endangered Species
Student activities that incorporate the bald eagle cam may include:
collecting data for a citizen science project
analyzing and presenting the data collected
creating a blog that incorporates their daily observations of the nest
developing a social media campaign to bring attention to bald eagle conservation
discussion of bald eagle protections under the Endangered Species Act, Migratory Bird Act, and Lacey Act
The Bald Eagle Conservation Success Story
The bald eagle is a conservation success story! In 1982 there was only one active bald eagle nest in the state of NJ; however, as of 2020, there were 222 active nests in the state. The low population count in the 1970s and early 1980s was in large part due to the widespread use of the pesticide DDT. In 1962, Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring brought about global awareness of the harmful effects of DDT on wildlife. As a result of her book, DDT was banned by the state of NJ in 1968 and federally in 1972. With the banning of DDT and with further protections under the 1973 Endangered Species Act, the Bald Eagle is soaring high today.1
With the help of volunteers, the 222 active nests in NJ are being monitored by state officials. Some of the nests have cams that allow biologists to monitor the nests more closely. State scientists are monitoring the number of eggs that hatch and eaglets that fledge at each of the nests. They are also monitoring feeding behaviors and food sources for the eagles.2 The cams on the nest have also become an excellent resource for engaging the public in bald eagle conservation efforts.
The Duke Farms Eaglet shortly after hatching on February 24, 2022.
The Duke Farms Eaglet being fed fish. The eaglet is about 1 month old in this picture.
The Duke Farms Eaglet at 2 months old. It is amazing to watch the Eaglet grow so quickly.
Google Site of Eaglet Development and Student Reactions
This Google Site contains a series of screenshots of the development of the eaglet that hatched at Duke Farms in Hillsborough, NJ on February 24, 2022.
Google My Map with pins to bald eagle cams throughout the United States
Current List of Bald Eagle Cams: Duke Farms Bald Eagle Cam Hillsborough Township, NJThree Bridges Bald Eagle Cam Readington Township, NJBerry College Bald Eagle Cam Mount Berry, GAHilton Head Island Bald Eagle Cam Hilton Head Island, SCNorthern Michigan Bald Eagle Cam Beulah, MIHanover Bald Eagle Cam Hanover, PAAmerican Eagle Foundation Bald Eagle Cam Northeast FloridaTwo Harbors Bald Eagle Cam Catalina Island, CAPlease help me reach my goal by having every state on the Google My Map with a pinned bald eagle nest cam! Complete this Google Form if you know of an eagle nest cam to be pinned. Thank you for your participation!
Google Sheet for Citizen Science
Incorporating citizen science into the AP Environmental Science classroom can also be a valuable way of introducing students to the important work that is being done by conservation scientists. It can also provide students with an opportunity to learn about how to engage in science even after they complete the course. The Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey does have an on-going citizen science project that does just that. People are asked to record observed feeding behaviors of the Duke Farms eagles. According to researchers, citizen science projects regarding the use of webcams to learn more about Avian foraging ecology have been a reliable source of information for their reserach.4 I find that citizen science is a great way to engage students in data collection, and provides students with a sense of satisfaction knowing that they are helping avian biologist learn more about the species.
I have my students complete this Google Sheet of feeding behaviors from the Duke Farms Eagle Cam. In order to collect the data students have to rewind the film to determine which parent is bring the eaglets food, and the type of food that they are bring. Regarding the Duke Farms Eagles, the best way to tell the difference between the male and the female parent is by looking at the ankles of the bird bringing the food, the male is banded while the female is not banded. The male has a silver band on one leg, and a green band on the other leg.2 Later, students can analyze the data through graphing the data they collect.
Please feel free to add data from the Duke Farms Eagle Cam to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey Google Sheet.
Exciting moment caught on the Duke Farms Eagle Cam!
This is a 2013 video from when a red-tailed hawk attempted to attack the nest. It didn't go well for the hawk.
Google Form for Thoughts and Suggestions
If you have any suggestions or thoughts about the implementation of wildlife cams in the AP Environmental Science classroom, I would enjoy hearing them. Please complete this Google Form with your thoughts!
Collaborator
Jeffery Geist, Continuing Education Manager, Duke Farms
Jeff Geist has been working at Duke Farms for 5 years. His undergraduate work was in entomology at Rutgers University. He first visited Duke Farms on a class field trip while in college. Through making connections on the field trip, Jeff got his first job at Duke Farms as a seasonal educator on weekends before returning to graduate school for a MA in Environmental Conservation Education at NYU. He has designed a new internship program for college students and adults to provide professional skills and hands-on work in conservation science. This is a program that many of my students will be interested in as they leave high school and pursue degrees in environmental science. Jeff suggested other ways to engage students in eagle conservation such as introducing them to EagleTrax, which tracks the movements of eagles that were fitted with a transmitter during banding. Jeff provided me with detailed information about the eagle cam at Duke Farms and the birds that occupy the nest. He also suggested ways of using the cam in the secondary classroom (as described above).
- Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey. (2022). Conserve wildlife foundation of NJ: Bald eagle project. Retrieved from: http://www.conservewildlifenj.org/protecting/projects/baldeagle/
- Geist, J. (2022, March). Personal communication (personal interview).
- Johnson-Pynn, J. S. and Carleton, R. (2019). Webcams and websites inspire conservation of the American bald eagle. Ecopsychology, Vol, 11. No. 4. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Renee- Carleton/publication/336981642_Webcams_and_Websites_Inspire_Conservation_of_the_American_Bald_Eagle/links/6050eda6a6fdccbfeae5f9a6/Webcams-and- Websites-Inspire-Conservation-of-the-American-Bald-Eagle.pdf
- Vali, U. and Magalhaes, A. (2022). Web-based citizen science as a tool in conservation research: A case study of prey delivery by the lesser spotted eagle. Plos One. Retrieved from: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0261655
- Wright, J. (2016). Duke farms bald eagle e-book. Retrieved from: https://www.dukefarms.org/siteassets/documents/making-an- impact/eagle-cam/eagle-e-book.pdf