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Eaglets have people talking because the area they were born in has a comeback story of its own
By Megan Thomas, CBC News
Posted: Mar 28, 2013 7:06 AM ET
Last Updated: Mar 28, 2013 11:22 AM ET
The first baby bald eagles born in the Hamilton area in decades are another sign that extensive efforts to rehabilitate the local environment are working, say those who work in conservation.
By the early 1980s, bald eagles were all but extinct in the northern Lake Ontario region. In fact, there were only four active nests in all of the Great Lakes, largely due to the widespread use of the pesticide DDT.
Conservationists were thrilled a few years ago when a pair of eagles nested in an area near Hamilton that is part of the Royal Botanical Gardens, but the pair failed to reproduce. They were thrilled again when the pair successfully hatched young on the weekend.
Extensive rehabilitation
The eaglets also have people talking because the area they were born in, called Cootes Paradise, has a comeback story of its own.
McMaster University biology professor Patricia Chow-Fraser has been involved with rehabilitation efforts in the 840-hectare wetland and woodland.
The view from in the eagle's nest in Cootes Paradise in August of 2012. (supplied) "It's just like human neighbourhoods. If you really want a vibrant neighbourhood, you want to start seeing kids there," said Chow-Fraser, who specializes in Great Lakes environments.
Chow-Fraser said the installation of a special barrier to keep invasive carp out of Cootes Paradise was critical, along with efforts to better deal with sewage treatment in Hamilton and runoff from nearby urban development.
Besides the pair of eagles, other examples of native biodiversity returning to the area include populations of large-mouth bass and northern pike, she said.
Community effort
The baby bald eagles are also a boost for those who have worked to restore the waterways that feed into Cootes Paradise, said Scott Peck, director of watershed planning and engineering for the Hamilton Conservation Authority.
A number of groups and organizations have contributed to rehabilitation efforts in the Hamilton area, including in the Spencer Creek Watershed, which flows into Cootes Paradise. (supplied) "It's a tremendous good feeling," Peck said.
He added that a number of groups in Hamilton and Burlington have been contributing to the rehabilitation of the Hamilton's harbour and the Spencer Creek watershed, which feeds into Cootes Paradise.
"The eagles make that visual identification that things are getting better in the watershed," he said "There's certainly more work to be done, but it's certainly a good indicator."
Project Paradise, led by Royal Botanical Gardens, is considered the largest wetland habitat restoration effort of its kind on the Great Lakes.
The rehabilitation efforts in the western tip of Lake Ontario include nesting platforms, artificial ponds, an aquatic nursery, and a unique carp barrier.
The roots of Project Paradise date back to 1986 when the International Joint Commission named Hamilton Harbour one of 42 Areas of Concern.
RBG established Project Paradise in 1991.
Source: Royal Botanical Gardens
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