National Save The Eagles Day: Inspiring Origin, Simple Ways To Observe It

Eagles may be among the world's most incredible birds, but they need help to avoid extinction, too. On National Save the Eagles Day, observed every Jan. 10, we laud the efforts being done to save them and raise awareness of their important plight.

National Save the Eagles Day stemmed from a pair of eagles and the inspiring effort of a community in Ridgefield Park, New Jersey. The pair, Alice and Al, had been nesting in a tree along Overpeck Creek since around 2011. But in 2014, a development company cited a study about how the landfill near the nest was hazardous to health and proposed removing the tree as a part of the efforts to mitigate the risks.

The local community came together and, along with the Audubon Society, created Save the Eagles Day on Jan. 10, 2015. In the end, it was agreed upon to preserve part of the land as an eagle park, and Alice and Al remained for years thereafter.

On this day, we celebrate this and many other efforts to save eagles. The iconic Bald Eagle, for instance, has been hailed as "the ultimate Endangered Species Act success story" by the American Bird Conservancy.

From 1963, when there were only 417 breeding Bald Eagle pairs left in the lower 48 states, this increased dramatically to 5,000 by 1997. In 2007, the Bald Eagle was taken off the Endangered Species Act, as it was considered to be "no longer endangered or even threatened."

These are just some examples of how conservation efforts have helped save the world's eagles. And today, we celebrate the triumphs that have so far been achieved while also acknowledging that there is more work to do for the creatures, as threats like pesticides, poaching and other human-related dangers continue to linger.

Today, people can observe National Save The Eagles Day through various means. One of the simplest ways would be by thanking the people and organizations that make it their goal to save the eagles, for instance through a simple message on social media. They may also donate a bit of money to these organizations or even give their time by volunteering.

Others who live in areas near eagle nests may take this a chance to educate themselves and their community about how they can contribute to the protection of the creatures, as suggested by National Today.

Meanwhile, others may opt to spend the day learning more about eagles by reading or doing some research about them. For instance, did you know that eagles are monogamous? Or that they have been a symbol of strength for such a long time, that their likeness has been found even on Greek and Roman coins, medals and ruins?

Learn more about them today, including the threats that they continue to face, and share them with others. Who knows? You may just in inspire a new group of eagle saviors.