LOCAL EAGLES DOOMED?

V gi

guides

spearhead
save-the-nest
movement

WHEN WALKING through @ wooded area in North Van-
couver last spring, Girl Guide leader Mary Huntington
stumbled upon an ecagte’s nest high atop the trees.

“There were feathers and
pigeon parts and things all over the
bottom af the tree Huntington
recalls of finding the nest ona
photo trek.

“When Tosaw it, it wits gusta
sinking feeling because the whale
area is set for development.” ste
explained. ‘‘'Not here.’ J
thoughi.”’

Since then, the Second Seymour
Company has been working to
have the development hatted and
the region — near the end of
Dollar Road in Dollartan —- des-
ignated as oa wildlife area to
preserve the age-old nesting site.

SRSTETETLEY

Although eagles, their
nests and their eggs,and
in this case their tree.are
all protected by federal
laws, removing the sur-
rounding trees would ef-
feetively mean the end of
the nesting area.

The majestic birds return to the
same nesting site year after year
and are known to be especially
particular about where they raise
their families.

Members of the 10-girl company
— including Rebecca, Jessica and
Carley — took with youthful en-
thusiasm to the idea of trying to
save the nesting site.

Measuring an estimated [2 feet
in diameter and six feet deep, the
nest uses ‘‘sticks the size of your
wrist,” and, perched high atop a
massive Douglas Fir, can be seen
from the Second Narrows Bridge.”

Although eagles, their nests and
their eggs, and in this case their
tree, are all protected by federal
laws, removing the surrounding

Tt pagent rl

Hs STEPHEN BARRINGION

Neiws Reporter

trees would effectively medi the
end of the nesting area. *' They
need this (surrounding) area to teel
sate.’ Huntington said,

Geaerations of eagles are belies.
ed to have used the nest, Hun.
Hngton explained, and the residen-
tial development could permanent-
fy drive the birds from their home.

Being very particular about
where they nest, cages prefer to
choose their own hames, making
capturing and later relocating the
birds an unpractical solution.

Coming under the federal
Wildlife 87 program, the group’s
efforts to save the nesting area are
endorsed by the B.C. Ministry of
Environment and Parks.

North Vaneouser District was
asked to help, and ina letter to
Mayor Marilyn Baker and council,
Huntington asked that the area be
bestowed with special conservation
status lo protect the nest.

“The beaury of this wooded
area, the sheer size of the nesting
tree, the abundance of birds and
wildlife and the magnificent view
of the eagles going about raising a
new generation are things well
worth considering before a vote
consigning it all to history,’’ Hun-
tington said in the letter.

“We don't know how far we'll
get with that (Ietter),’’ says Hun-
tington. “If council doesn't sup-
port it T think we'll go out to a
public petition.”

Girls in the company think it is
horrible that the nesting area may
be averrun by development.
“They're naturally behind the pro-
ject quite a lot.””

As a result of Huntington's let-
ter, the district engineering
department is presently preparing a
reporton the nesting site.

: AM

REBECCA, JESSICA and Carley
(left to right) experience a real-life
lesson in natural history as they
view an eaple’s nest that has been
used by the nesting birds for
generations. The grove of trees
that houses the nest is located just
behind Roche Point Park, an area
slated for residential development,
hut the Girl Guides’ Second
Seymour Company has petitioned
North Vancouver District Council
to reconsider the plan in the inter-
ests of saving the nest.

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NEWS photo Nell Lucente

CANYON GARDENS

PRESENTS:

LORLANN SPEED

Lori-einn Speed grew up in Celista — a small community on Shuswap Lake in
the intenor of B.C. She started prano at the eige of 14 and continued on to get
her bachelor of music degree from USC in 1982. She spent the following year
studying art, music and French in France. culminating with a diploma fram the
University of Grenoble in 1985, While in Europe. she travelled with the Canadian
Telemark Demonstration Team and in 1984 was ranked wm Canada’s top 10
and placed 3rd in the 1985 North American Telemark Race

Entertaining in the

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_ Sun, to Thurs. 6:30 - 10:30 p.m.

Dinan, 10 a live band FRI. & SAT.
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North Vancouver 988-6101