A Bald Eagle lands in a nest. Photo by Mike Williams, BENW volunteer
Each spring, nearly 600 volunteers across Wisconsin turn their eyes to the skies for one remarkable purpose – keeping watch over our state’s Bald Eagles.
Through the collaborative Bald Eagle Nest Watch program, community members monitor and report on active eagle nests. Their careful observations help track population trends, nesting success, and the health of our national bird. This valuable data guides conservation decisions and ensures that Bald Eagles continue to soar over Wisconsin’s lakes and rivers for generations for current and future generations to enjoy.
But keeping watch requires the right tools! That’s where you come in.
Why Spotting Scopes Matter
Two volunteers monitor an eagle nest through BENW using a spotting scope. Photo by Lyn Boyle
Spotting scopes are an essential part of Bald Eagle monitoring. They allow volunteers to safely and accurately observe nests from a distance without disturbing the birds. Unfortunately, the cost of a spotting scope can be a barrier for many of our dedicated volunteers.
To make the Bald Eagle Nest Watch program more accessible, we are working to collect 50 spotting scopes to share among our partners and volunteers statewide. These scopes will be donated to Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance, but will be made available for use across Wisconsin by our partner organizations and citizen scientists.
Those partners include 1000 Islands Environmental Center in Kaukauna, Barkhausen Waterfowl Preserve in Suamico, The Ridges Sanctuary in Bailey’s Harbor, Woodland Dunes Nature Center in Two Rivers, Beaver Creek Reserve in Chippewa Falls area, and two volunteer-run groups in Central and Southeastern Wisconsin. Together, we support hundreds of volunteers in over half of Wisconsin’s counties!
Your support will help us build a more equitable and effective program—one where every volunteer has the tools they need to contribute to bird conservation.
How You Can Help
There are two ways you can help us reach our goal of 50 scopes:
Donate a gently used spotting scope.
If you have a scope you’re no longer using, consider giving it a second life in the hands of a volunteer who will use it to protect eagles. We welcome donations of gently used scopes in good working condition.
Click Here to let us know of your home address, so we can direct you to the closest partner organization to receive your donation.
Make a monetary donation.
You can also support this effort by giving through our Spotting Scope Fund. Your gift will go directly toward purchasing high-quality scopes for statewide use. Each scope and tripod set costs roughly $250.
Click here to donate to the Spotting Scope Drive.
Every donation, no matter the size, brings us closer to a future where every Bald Eagle Nest Watch volunteer is equipped to help protect Wisconsin’s eagles.
A Bald Eagle Nest Watch volunteer at her nest site for monitoring. Photo by Bill Egert
A Statewide Effort, Powered by You
Since the Bald Eagle Nest Watch began in 2018, volunteers have logged thousands of hours in the field, contributing invaluable data that helps shape conservation policy.
The goals of Bald Eagle Nest Watch are to better understand how the Bald Eagle population is doing in Wisconsin as it relates to nesting success, reduce human-caused impact whenever possible, and raise awareness and appreciation among the community about their local Bald Eagles. With your help, we can do all of this and more!
By donating a scope or contributing to the fund, you’re not only supporting those volunteers– you’re ensuring that eagle conservation in Wisconsin remains strong, inclusive, and effective.
Thank you for helping us make Bald Eagle Nest Watch accessible to all who wish to take part. Together, we can keep our eyes to the skies and our hearts with Wisconsin’s eagles.
Donate or learn more at swibirds.org/bald-eagle-nest-watch.
