2022 National Arboretum Eagle Cam Merchandise

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11 oz Ceramic Mug in black text
Various colors available

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NADC Apparel in black text
Various colors available

Be sure to check out the different shirt styles offered, just look below the add to cart button on TeeSpring.

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the black NADC Tote bag

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Vinyl Square Cut Sticker
Various colors available

Thank you for supporting the National Arboretum Eagle Cam!

George Fan Art Design Winners!

Get your Favorite George Fan Art t-shirt design!

In response to dozens of requests for t-shirts featuring our favorite red-head, AEF hosted a Fan Art contest on George_the_vulture’s Instagram. Those that were interested in creating a piece of art that would be featured on a t-shirt fundraiser were encouraged to share their work with us and the George fans did not disappoint! Eleven very talon-ted artists submitted a design and then you, his followers, collectively voted to select two favorite designs.

A big thank you to everyone who entered the fan art contest! We were amazed by the skill, and creativity that each of you put into making such stunning pieces of George. We also want to thank the followers who participated in voting!

Congratulations to Livia Hamel and Christopher Harris for submitting the winning designs.

Simply click on the text below the product image to purchase, this will redirect you to the American Eagle Foundation store on TeeSpring.  Be sure to check out the different shirt styles offered, just look below the add to cart button.

Click here for the Christopher Harris Design

Name Barney and Barnadette’s offspring!

For the first time in AEF history, you can participate in naming Barney and Barnadette’s offspring!

We are excited to announce that our bonded pair of barn owls, Barney and Barnadette are already rearing offspring! There are currently two new owlets on the block at AEF! When these owlets reach 8-10 weeks of age they will be released into the wild. The barn owl is on the decline in TN, and it is our hope that we can help stabilize the population through this propagation program.

We are launching a “Name the owlets” fundraiser that allows our community of supporters an opportunity to participate in naming while giving a small charitable donation to help us continue our mission to conserve not only the bald eagle but all birds of prey. 

Now, we need your help in naming the feathery additions! For a $10 donation you can submit a name for one of the two owlets.

The premise of the fundraiser is simple:

#1 – Donate $10 for a chance to win naming rights for one of the two very first owlets reared by Barney and Barndette here at AEF.

#2 – You can “stuff the ballot” for an even greater chance to win.

#3 – We reserve the right to reject names if they are politically motivated, discriminatory in nature, or contain profanity. Names can include words from American history, patriotism, art (including music, dance, painting, etc.), science, literature, spirituality, or virtues. Please, No “pet” (like Spot or Fido), or gender-specific names – inappropriate names will not be considered. Refunds are not available.

#4 – The final naming announcement will be made on 8-4-22
All donations must be made by 12pm Est on 8-1-22

#5 – All funds raised from this fundraiser will support conservation, education, and rehabilitation efforts at AEF including associated propagation program costs*.

Poe’s 50K Painting Giveaway!

Poe has hit 50K followers on Instagram!

To celebrate and thank all of his supporters, Poe wants to giveaway three of his magnificent masterpieces!

This raffle is the perfect opportunity to snag a Poe original.  Poe’s painting will be numbered and dated by his avian caretaker.

CONTEST RULES AND REGULATIONS 

1. Enter a valid email address to qualify. How your email will be used – we will only use this information to sign up for our newsletter, Flight Path.
2. The raffle ends at 12:00 pm July 27th. Winners will be revealed at 1:00pm est. by Poe live on his Instagram account. Don’t worry if you miss the live, winners will be contacted by email shortly thereafter.  
3. Three winners will be randomly drawn from the raffle pool. The order in which they are drawn will determine which number canvas they receive. 
4. Winners will be contacted via the email address provided. Winners must respond to the email within two weeks of the email’s delivery to receive their prize.  
5. Prize packages will include the original canvas painted by Poe. Each canvas will be numbered and dated by his caretakers on its back.
6. American Eagle Foundation will do everything possible to ensure that the painting is protected before mailing, but we are not responsible for any damages that may occur to the painting during transit.  International shipping available.

Project Eagle Corporate Sponsorship packages

If you or your organization is interested in becoming a philanthropic donor or corporate sponsor of Project Eagle, please contact the following:

Jessica A. Hall
Executive Director, American Eagle Foundation
jessica@eagles.org

Name the Eastlake Ohio Nestlings!

The Eastlake Ohio volunteers were given the opportunity to help pick names for the eaglet trio hatched this year – The names selected are listed below.

We are excited to announce a NEW opportunity to be a part of the EastLake Ohio nest family.

Jackson and Kindness have had their work cut out for them this season with three eaglets to feed, both parents have been diligent and dedicated to their young. These eaglets are about 9 1/2 weeks old so now we want you to have the opportunity to help in naming OH3 and OH4. OH2 will receive a special name honoring an important public figure in the Eastlake community.

We are launching a “Name the Eastlake eaglets” fundraiser that allows all viewers an opportunity to participate in voting without the higher cost of purchasing an AEF membership.

The premise of the fundraiser is simple:

#1 – Six names have been selected by our Eastlake Ohio volunteer team: Each name was deliberately chosen to highlight the unique characteristics of this nest or of eagles in general. Some names honor the beautiful surrounding habitat where this nest is located, and some names have special meaning.

#2 – For a donation of $5 per vote, you can “stuff the ballot” for your favorite name for OH3 and OH4. Feel free to vote for your selection as many times as you want. The names that raises the most donations will be the names given to OH3 and OH4.

#3 – To make your donation and vote, see the naming options below.

#4 – The final naming announcement will be made on 6-17-22 at 2pm est.
All donations must be made by 12pm Est on 6-17-22

#5 – All funds raised from this fundraiser will be used to support conservation, education, and rehabilitation efforts at AEF including associated wildlife cam program costs*.

*Equipment, internet, maintenance, IT fees, etc.

 Submitted names and reasons – 
1. River – After the Chagrin river
2. Ace – High flying bird
3. East – After the city of Eastlake
4. Captain – After the lake county Captains baseball team
5. Aspen – In greek it means “shield” 
6. Forest – Symbolism in folklore, the name forest took on symbolic characteristics, to represent courage and endurance

Lead Toxicity in Bald Eagles

Over the past twenty-five years, lead toxicity—or lead poisoning—has become an increasingly apparent concern impacting bald eagles along with other bird species and wildlife.  

A recent study revealed that 47% of bald eagles and 46% of golden eagles had signs of chronic lead poisoning, which is the result of repeated lead exposure. As many as 33-35% of eagles had acute lead poisoning from exposure to high lead levels. These statistics came from samples taken across 38 states over the course of eight years (Slabe et. al, 2022).     

These numbers nearly double the previous years’ reports from the University of Minnesota’s Raptor Center, which indicated that over a quarter of sick or ill eagles treated had lead toxicity (The Raptor Center).   

The increasing lead levels in rehabilitation eagles’ blood suggests that lead toxicity is tangibly impacting the health of bald eagle populations.

What are the symptoms of lead toxicity?  

A lead fragment the size of a grain of rice is lethal to a mature bald eagle, meaning that a standard 150 grain lead bullet can poison 10 eagles. The deadly metal accumulates in an eagle’s system over the course of their lives, meaning that there is no safe amount of lead exposure. For this reason, lead is often called “the silent killer.” 

Even a small exposure to lead can cause devastating illness in eagles. Common symptoms include brain swelling, respiratory distress, muscle weakness, dehydration, starvation, kidney and liver damage, and seizures. Associated neurological damage can result in loss of vision, coordination, and nerve function; the bird may appear “drunk” or be unable to stand. The feces often turn a vibrant, sickening green. 

For most eagles with acute poisoning, the prognosis is not good. For those with non-lethal exposures (aka “subclinical levels), treatment is a long, grueling process that often costs thousands of dollars. Even after weeks of injectable and oral chelation therapy, the neurological side effects of lead may be permanent and result in the bird being deemed non-releasable (Joseph 2013). 

How can outdoorspeople help?  

Sportsmen and sportswomen have a longstanding history of championing conservation, both through protecting habitats and wildlife management. A recent survey by Ducks Unlimited suggests that hunters are more than three times as likely as nonhunters to participate in organized wildlife conservation efforts (Young).    

The research on lead toxicosis in bald eagles indicates that these exposures are unintended consequences from lead ammunition fragments and lead fishing tackle that are left behind in the field (Buehler 2020).  

Because these exposures are accidental, such as when a fish breaks the line or when a gut pile is left behind, the best way to decrease the risk of lead exposure is to transition to non-lead ammunition and tackle.   

Education around this issue is imperative not just for the health of bald eagles but also humans. Lead fragments from ammunition spread far beyond the wound channel. This means that fragments may exist in gut piles left behind in the field, and it also poses a risk to meat processed for human consumption. A study using 324 randomly selected venison packages from processors found that 34% contained as much as 150 separate lead fragments (Hunt et al., 2009).    

As the bald eagle taught us, conservation can be a powerfully unifying force, and we call on our fellow conservationists and outdoorspeople to preserve the biodiversity and natural beauty of this country.  

Resources  

Buehler, D.A. (2020). Bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus). Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithica, NY, USA. https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.baleag.01 

Hunt, W.G., Watson, R.T., Oaks, J.L., Parish, C.N., Burnham, K.K., Tucker, R.L., Belthoff, J.R., & Hart G. (2009) Lead bullet fragments in venison from rifle-killed deer: potential for human dietary exposure. PLoS ONE 4(4), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0005330  

Joseph, V. (2013) Lead Toxicity in Wild Birds: A Case for Requiring Non-Lead Ammunition. Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. https://www.hsvma.org/lead_toxicity_in_wild_birds 

Slabe, V.A., Anderson, J.T., Millsap, B.A., Cooper J.L., Harmata A.R., Restani M., Crandall R.H., Bodenstein, B., Bloom P.H.,& Katzner, T.E. (2022). Demographic implications of lead poisoning for eagles across North America. Science, 375 (6582), https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abj3068  

The Raptor Center. Our Research: Lead Poisoning. https://raptor.umn.edu/about-us/our-research/lead-poisoning 

Young, M. Hunters and anglers are North America’s greatest conservationists. Ducks Unlimited. https://www.ducks.org/conservation/national/sportsmen-conservation#:~:text=By%20purchasing%20and%20leasing%20land,wildlife%2Dfriendly%20manner%20as%20well.  

Name the National Arboretum Nestling!

The National Arboretum volunteers were given the opportunity to help pick names for DC9 – The names selected are listed below.

We are excited to announce a NEW opportunity to be a part of the National Arboretum nest family.

Mr. President and Lotus have both been amazing at seeing to DC9’s every need! DC9 is almost 8 weeks old so now we want you to have the opportunity to help in naming this eaglet.

We are launching a “Name DC9” fundraiser that allows all viewers an opportunity to participate in voting without the higher cost of purchasing an AEF membership.

The premise of the “Name DC9” fundraiser is simple:

#1 – Five names have been selected by our National Arboretum volunteer team: Each name was deliberately chosen to highlight the unique characteristics of this nest. Some names honor the beautiful surrounding habitat where this nest is located, and some names have special meaning.

#2 – For a donation of $5 per vote, you can “stuff the ballot” for your favorite name for DC9. Feel free to vote for your selection as many times as you want. The name that raises the most donations will be the name given to DC9.

#3 – To make your donation and vote, see the naming options below.

#4 – The final naming announcement will be made on 5-30-22 at 2pm est.
All donations must be made by 12pm Est on 5-30-22

#5 – All funds raised from this fundraiser will be used to support conservation, education, and rehabilitation efforts at AEF including associated wildlife cam program costs*.

*Equipment, internet, maintenance, IT fees, etc.

 Submitted names and reasons – 
1. Neo – means “new”
2. Beacon – of hope and unity
3. Takoda – Sioux for “friend to all”
4. Arbor – after the arboretum
5. Poplar – name of the tree in which the nest is located

It’s time!

The contest to choose the design for our next George t-shirt is officially open!

Voting will be open from November 15, 2023 to November 29, 2023.
The winning design will be announced on December 4, 2023.

**Please only vote for your favorite once – we want to ensure the design liked by the largest number of people wins!

We are featuring several designs submitted by artists from IG in the Team George family (see their names credited below). These designs are in the running to be featured on a t-shirt that will be available for purchase as a fundraiser to benefit George and all of our birds.