Bald Eagle Interpretive Center | Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center

Queen Size Quilt Raffle

The winner of the quilt raffle was Pam Patron, of Everett, Washington. Congratulations, Pam!

Eric Spandi, President of our Board of Directors at the Skagit River Interpretive Center, shows off the quilt that we offered for our 2023 fund raiser. Tickets were $10 each.

[CLICK IMAGE FOR FULL PICTURE] Joe Ordonez captured this early snowfall at Rainy Lake, up on the summit of the North Cascades Highway. Snowfall in the mountains means that winter is approaching. Winter typically brings the bald eagles to the Skagit and Nooksack Rivers to feed on the late salmon runs. Photo Copyright: Joe Ordonez
Group gathers for guided nature walk with USFS field ranger Matt Riggen. Photo by Charles Biles.
Learning about about the salmon life cycle on a guided nature walk. Photo by Charles Biles.
Visitor shares music from his eagle flute. Click image for full picture.
School group poses in front of the Center's giant eagle kite. Click image for full view.
Students feel the different types of evergreens that have been planted along the Skagit River to improve wildlife and salmon habitat.
What's a lungwort? - students discuss lichens with the Center coordinator.
Finding out about the longest lichen.
Stopping to talk about the salmon and trout that live in the Skagit River.
USFS Field Ranger describes the characteristics of a juvenile bald eagle before leading Guided Hike.
Kids huddle around the eagle's nest replica during our K-12 School Program.
Eagle perched inside the park on a sunny winter's day.
Our Team posing with our new sign from Skagit County Parks & Rec.
Find handmade items in our Nature Store - unique gifts locally produced.
Shop in our Nature Store - featuring local Skagit Valley artisans. Proceeds support both the artist and Center.
Nature Store featured framed photography - "Coho Swirl" by Steve Philbrick
Our neighbor, Don Smith, from Rockport State Park draws an eagle for the kids in our children's corner.
Interpretive Center Coordinator pauses to discuss spawning salmon on a very snowy guided hike.
20th Anniversary Poster - "Eagles Bonding" by La Conner Artist, Bob Patterson

Review of 2022/23 Season

February 22, 2023

“Change of Seasons” – Photo by Joel Ordonez

Our 2022/23 season was a huge success. Some highlights this year included seeing salmon spawning along the river in December and early January, great eagle sightings throughout the winter, other wildlife sightings including great blue herons, red-tailed hawks and even a northern pygmy owl. Visiting artist Ramon Shilo added a special bonus to our season.

We had over 1,000 guests join us for our natural history walks along the Skagit River, and over 2,000 visitors stopped by our Interpretive Center. A big shout-out to all the volunteers who helped make this happen. And, of course, a big thank you to all who came to visit and those who made donations to our non-profit.

The winner of the quilt raffle was Pam Patron, of Everett, Washington. Congratulations, Pam!

For those interested, here is a link to our report outlining details about this year’s operation: 2022-23 End of Season Report

For now, I’m heading back to the Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve in Haines, Alaska for another summer season with my tour company, Rainbow Glacier Adventures. Maybe I’ll see you up North!

We plan to open the Skagit River Interpretive Center next December and we hope you can join us.

– Joel Ordonez, Education Coordinator

Skagit River Beauty

January 23, 2023

Skagit River Beauty. Photo Credit: Joe Ordonez

The days are getting longer and the weather is improving. Today was a beautiful day with the sun shining and the clouds lifting out of the river valley. This photo was taken looking upstream on the Skagit River from the bridge in Concrete. We had a great turnout the past few days for our educational walks along the river. The highlight of the day was a northern pygmy owl quietly perched above us as we walked along the trail.

The Skagit River Interpretive Center drawing to a close. We are open three more weekends, with our last day of the season Sunday, February 12th. The Center is open 10am to 4pm and our guided walks depart at 11:00am and 1:30pm. No advance sign-up required. See you there!

Season Report 2021-22

January 17, 2023

Last season’s report is available to view now: Season Report 2021-22.

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The Skagit River Bald Eagle Awareness Team (SRBEAT) is the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates the Interpretive Center.

The Skagit River Bald Eagle Interpretive Center at Howard Miller Steelhead Park, Rockport, WA offers opportunities to better understand the Skagit River ecosystem with an emphasis on the winter migration of bald eagles, salmon, and the vital role each play in our environment. Each weekend in December and January we offer Guided Nature Hikes along the scenic Skagit River and a Speaker Series. Our educational programs include a K-12 & Home School Program and Community Group Tours.

Rockport

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Now Seeking Board Members

Serve the community and support environmental education by joining our team! For more info contact, srbeatic@frontier.com, 360-853-7626.

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Nature Store

Shop at our revamped Nature Store. Local artisans featured – every purchase benefits the artist and us!

Photo Contest

Check out the results of our 2020-2021 Photo Contest!

Nonprofit

We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that does not receive any government funding. We depend on volunteers and donations to stay in business.