The Bald Eagles of New Jersey

On Wednesday, October 9, Mike Anderson, director of New Jersey Audubon’s Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary in Bernardsville, will present a program at the Montclair Bird Club on the current status and natural history of the Bald Eagle in New Jersey.

In the early 1980’s, New Jersey was down to one nesting pair of bald Eagles, as a result of the impact of the pesticide DDT on their ability to reproduce, habitat destruction, shootings, and poisonings, and the number of migrating Bald Eagles recorded at the Montclair Hawk Watch could be counted on one hand.

But thanks to the banning of DDT, habitat protection afforded by endangered species protection laws, and intensive conservation work by many partners, the bald eagle was deemed to be nationally recovered on August 2007.  Last year, 135 eagle pairs in New Jersey were monitored by the DEP, and more than 100 migrating eagles were spotted over the First Watchung Mountain.  

Mike Anderson will recount the amazing story of the Bald Eagle, how we in New Jersey almost lost this precious bird of prey and national symbol, and how their population has been recovering.

Mike Anderson, a dedicated conservationist and environmental educator, has worked for New Jersey Audubon since 1990 as a naturalist, teacher naturalist, and program director. Mike is currently the Sanctuary Director at the 275 acre Sanctuary in Bernardsville.  . Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike has always been drawn to out door activities and jobs. Prior careers include a dozen years as a Tree Climber and working as a White Water River Guide and a short stint on a Trawler out of Cape May. In his spare time in Cape May he was introduced to Hawk Watching. Mike has led Eco tours for NJAS in Maine and Belize, and co-authored NJ WATERS.