Update: The first egg hatched March 27, 2012. (Get a glimpse of the “D12″). Update: March 29, 2012 - Here’s footage of the emergence of “D13.” Stay tuned!

Symbolically Adopt a Bald Eagle

Help National Wildlife Federation in its efforts to protect the bald eagle and its habitat by adopting an eagle. Your adoption will go toward supporting NWF’s efforts with wildlife conservation, education and more. Adoption packages include a certificate, poster, bald eagle plush and more.

Adopt a bald eagle >>

Feb. 17, 2012: First egg is delivered (watch video)
Feb. 20, 2012: Second egg is delivered (watch video)
Feb 24, 2012: Third egg is delivered (watch video)

Who operates and maintains this eagle cam?

The Raptor Resource Project maintains the cams, of which there are two. The feed is streamed online 24/7. Both are positioned on one of the nest’s supporting limbs about 4-5 feet above the nest. The main cam is automated and is trained on the nest. The other cam has pan-tilt-zoom capabilities. At dark the main cam switches to infrared (invisible to the eagles) night-time view.

More Frequently Asked Questions About the Eagle Cam

See these frequently asked questions answered by the Raptor Resource Center.

How big is the nest?
5-6 feet across, about the same deep; it weighs about 1½ tons.

How old is the nest?
The eagles built it in 2007. A previous nest close by fell when a windstorm broke one of the branches.

Are these eagles banded?
No.

Which is the male and which is the female?
It is hard to tell the difference unless they are both on the nest. The female is larger than the male. This female has a ridge above her eyes that goes further back than on the male, and her eyes are surrounded by a greyish shadow; the male has a line around his eyes that makes them look “beadier.” Some think that the male’s head is “sleeker” than the female’s.

What is the history of this pair?
They have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. Her markings at that time indicated that she was about 4 years old. They successfully hatched and fledged 2 eaglets in 2008, then 3 in 2009, 3 more in 2010, and 3 more in 2011.

What is the area around the nest like?
The nest is in a cottonwood tree on private property near the Decorah Fish Hatchery (operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources), on the banks of the babbling waters of Trout Run in extreme northeast Iowa.

Who does the panning, tilting, and zooming, and when does that happen?
Bob Anderson, Executive Director of Raptor Resource Project, switches to the pan-tilt-zoom cam when time and weather permit, and especially when there appears to be interesting activity in the nest.

What is the Raptor Resource Project?
Established in 1988, the non-profit Raptor Resource Project specializes in the preservation of falcons, eagles, ospreys, hawks, and owls. They establish and strengthen breeding populations of these raptors by creating, improving, and maintaining nests and nest sites. In addition to directly managing more than 23 falcon, eagle, and owl nest sites, the Raptor Resource Center provides training in nest site creation and management across the United States, reaching more than 85,000 people each year through lectures, education programs, and the web, and develop innovations in nest site management and viewing that bring people closer to the world around them. Check out the links to cams of many of the raptor nests that RRP manages.

Related Links

• Read an interview with Robert Anderson, the Director of the Raptor Resource Project, who helped set up the famous UStream video footage of the Decorah Bald Eagle, the #1 most watched live video stream of all time.
• Learn more about bald eagles from National Wildlife Federation’s Wildlife Library and find out how they are an Endangered Species Act success story.

Casino Beach, IA in August 2009 (Flickr's Laura Bernhardt)

With the Iowa caucus now exactly seven weeks away, more than 30 Iowa scientists are asking political candidates to acknowledge the threats posed by ongoing climate change, particularly to Iowa’s farmers.

“All major scientific societies and the US National Academy of Science have affirmed that the recent rise in greenhouse gases in the global atmosphere has contributed to changes in our climate,” the scientists write in a letter being delivered today to Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad and made available to candidates for local, state and federal office.  Additional climate changes will challenge farmers and planners “to maintain the prosperity of our state and its role in national and global food security,” say the scientists.

The statement was drafted by four climate science researchers at Iowa State University, including Prof. Gene Takle, the director of Iowa State’s Climate Science Program. Drake University Prof. David Courard-Hauri organized the scientists from other colleges and universities who signed on to the statement, saying,  “This is an issue that all candidates for elected office, from city council to President of the United States, should acknowledge and address through public policy.”

The letter comes less than two months ahead of the Republican presidential field’s first contest, the Iowa caucus. While polls show Republican voters support climate science, most of the GOP presidential candidates have chosen to side with the big polluting Koch brothers against climate science. Of the top GOP contenders, only Jon Huntsman acknowledges climate reality, once tweeting, “To be clear, I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.” While Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney previously embraced climate science, both have now disavowed it in hopes of appealing to Tea Party extremists. Ron Paul has veered from cautious skeptic to firm denier. Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Rick Perry and Rick Santorum all reject climate science outright.

But rather than winning voters over to their side, extreme climate science denial may actually be having the opposite effect, turning some voters into climate science believers. A Reuters/Ipsos poll showed the public’s awareness of climate threats up in recent months. Majorities of Republican voters continue to say the world’s temperature is going up, and that it’s partly or mostly due to human activities.

Here’s the letter in full:

Climate Science and Public Policy in Iowa

November, 2011

The productive soils and favorable climate of Iowa underpin the economy of our State. Over the last half-century our farmers have adapted to changing conditions to keep Iowa ranked as one of the leading agriculture states in the US. We take well-earned pride in our contributions to national and global food security.

Changes in rainfall patterns and other climate indicators have emerged as the latest and potentially the most serious challenge to Iowans’ lives and livelihoods. Subtle changes in climate can have large effects on agriculture, making it a sensitive indicator of climate change. Statewide data show changes in temperature, precipitation, and humidity over the last forty years affecting Iowa’s producers. In recent decades a longer growing season, more precipitation, and lack of extreme high daytime temperatures have contributed to improved crop yields in our State. But the accompanying increase in extreme rainfall events, higher humidity, and higher nighttime temperatures have required costly adaptations.

Like its farmers, Iowa’s cities and rural communities, which provide our infrastructure, educational opportunities, and cultural amenities, also have felt the effects of a changing climate. Over the last 40 years intense rainfall has occurred about five times more often than in our previous history. As a result our communities have faced enormous expense to recover from repeated “500-year” floods. Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Iowa City, and Ames all have suffered multi-million dollar losses from floods since 1993. In 2008 alone, 85 of Iowa’s 99 counties were declared federal disaster areas.

These changes in Iowa’s climate have clear connections to changes in global climate and to changes in how we use the land. As the global climate continues to evolve, our farmers and city planners will face new challenges to maintain the prosperity of our state and its role in national and global food security. All major scientific societies and the US National Academy of Science have affirmed that the recent rise in greenhouse gases in the global atmosphere has contributed to changes in our climate. We urge all candidates for public office at national, state, and local levels to acknowledge the overwhelming balance of evidence for the underpinning causes of climate change, to develop appropriate policy responses, and to develop local and statewide strategies to adapt to near-term changes in climate.

Signed,*
Chris Anderson, Climate Science Program, Iowa State University
Ray Arritt, Climate Science Program, Iowa State University
Bill Gutowski, Climate Science Program, Iowa State University
Gene Takle, Climate Science Program, Iowa State University
Mark Aronson, Department of Biology, Scott Community College
Neil Bernstein, Chair, Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Mount Mercy University
Aaron Bunker, Department of Biology, Morningside College
David Campbell, Henry R. Luce Professor in Nations & the Global Environment and Professor of Biology, Grinnell College
David Courard-Hauri, Environmental Science and Policy Program, Drake University
Richard Cruse, Director, Iowa Water Center, Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University
Gary Donnermeyer, Math/Science Department, Kirkwood Community College
Robert de Haan, Environmental Studies Department, Dordt College
Rhawn Denniston, Chair, Department of Geology, Cornell College
Jack Gittinger, Department of Education, Simpson College
Brian Hazlett, Director, Environmental Science Program, Briar Cliff University
Laura Jackson, Professor of Biology, University of Northern Iowa
M. Patrick McAdams, Division of Health and Life Science, William Penn University
David McCullough, Professor of Biology, Coordinator, Environmental Studies, Wartburg College
Gilbert Nebgen, Associate Professor of Science and Math, Indian Hills Community College
Laura Peterson, Department of Chemistry, Environmental Studies Program, Luther College
Gary Phillips, Environmental Studies Department, Iowa Lakes Community College
Thomas Rosburg, Professor of Biology, Drake University
Melanie Hansen Sadeghpour, Chair, Environmental Science Program, Des Moines Area Community College
Paula Sanchini, Professor of Biology, Coe College
Jerald Schnoor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Co-Director, Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, University of Iowa
Keith Summerville, Environmental Science and Policy, Drake University
Kathryn Szramek, Environmental Science and Policy, Drake University
Martin St. Clair, Professor of Chemistry, Coe College
Tracy Todd, Associate Professor of Biology, Northwestern College
Paul Weihe, Biology & Environmental Science, Central College
Danielle Wirth, Environmental Science Department, Des Moines Area Community College

* The views expressed herein are those of the individual signatories, and do not necessarily represent the views of the institutions with which they are affiliated.

Evacuations in Dakota Dunes, SD (via David Curry)

I grew up in Elk Point, South Dakota, not far from the Missouri River. As major flooding events continue on the northern central Plains, my parents, other family members, and friends have been working non-stop the last few days to help evacuate people in neighboring towns now threatened by the rising river. My parents are even hosting two evacuees from the town of Dakota Dunes in the house where I was raised, forced from their own homes and officials say they may not be able to return for two months.

It’s jarring to read news coverage of the flooding threats and find a family friend interviewed by a local TV station. As I was keeping up to date with the latest updates on the flood, I saw our friend Lisa Leopold telling KTIV in Iowa’s Sioux City, “We want to save our stuff. Not that the stuff means anything, at least we have our health, but we need to clear it out.” When I called my dad to tell him about the interview, he was still at the Leopold’s home lending a helping hand.

A combination of heavy rains and above-average snow melt in the upper Missouri River Basin in eastern Montana and western North Dakota is resulting in significant flooding along parts of the Missouri River in the state of South Dakota and into parts of the Nebraska and Iowa.  The high water levels are requiring historic reservoir releases from six major dams along the Missouri River, including Gavin’s Point Dam in Yankton, SD, just upstream from Dakota Dunes:

Water is already surging at all six of the dams along the river, breaking records at each one. According to Grode, runoff waters are highest at Gavins Point, located near Yankton, S.D. The flow there reached 10.5 million acre-feet, breaking a previous record of 7.2 acre-feet, set in 1995.

While Grode says the dams are all “very safe,” the levee system is more vulnerable – and will likely be stressed throughout the year, he warns. Tributary systems that feed into the Missouri River are also expected to flood.

A levee breach near Hamburg, Iowa, on Sunday resulted in a mandatory evacuation of residents. Corps officials have not yet determined what caused the breach. The National Guard dropped 22 thousand-pound sandbags on the levee, as an emergency measure to keep the water from flowing through the breach. Flooding will stretch two miles inland, officials predict.

Rising river levels have resulted in sandbagging efforts and road closures in virtually every state bordering the river. In Fort Calhoun, Neb., about 20 miles north of Omaha, a nuclear power plant declared an emergency and shut down. The Omaha Public Power District, which operates the plant, said it does not expect any release of radioactive material.

This year has certainly been one full of extreme weather including deadly tornado outbreaks such as tornadoes in Joplin, Missouri and Alabama, as well as major flooding along the Mississippi River.  This trend of extreme weather is projected to continue given that experts are forecasting an active hurricane season.

As our global temperatures continue to rise at a rapid rate in response to man-made climate change, more extreme weather events like the floods we have seen and will continue to see this year will be more commonplace. Learn more at NWF.org/ExtremeWeather.

This particular flood of the Missouri for me hits too close to home. Given my love for meteorology, my family, and friends, I wish that I could be back at home to help out.

Who operates and maintains this eagle cam?

The Raptor Resource Project maintains the cams, of which there are two. The feed is streamed online 24/7. Both are positioned on one of the nest’s supporting limbs about 4-5 feet above the nest. The main cam is automated and is trained on the nest. The other cam has pan-tilt-zoom capabilities. At dark the main cam switches to infrared (invisible to the eagles) night-time view. Watch this slide show of the eagle cam installation in fall 2010 >>

More Frequently Asked Questions About the Eagle Cam

See these frequently asked questions answered by the Raptor Resource Center:

How high is the nest?
About 80 feet.

How big is the nest?
5-6 feet across, about the same deep; it weighs about 1½ tons.

How old is the nest?
The eagles built it in 2007. A previous nest close by fell when a windstorm broke one of the branches.

Are these eagles banded?
No.

Which is the male and which is the female?
It is hard to tell the difference unless they are both on the nest. The female is larger than the male. This female has a ridge above her eyes that goes further back than on the male, and her eyes are surrounded by a greyish shadow; the male has a line around his eyes that makes them look “beadier.” Some think that the male’s head is “sleeker” than the female’s.

What is the history of this pair?
They have been together since the winter of 2007-2008. Her markings at that time indicated that she was about 4 years old. They successfully hatched and fledged 2 eaglets in 2008, then 3 in 2009, and 3 more in 2010.

What is the area around the nest like?
The nest is in a cottonwood tree on private property near the Decorah Fish Hatchery (operated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources), on the banks of the babbling waters of Trout Run in extreme northeast Iowa.

Where can I see pictures and videos of these eagles?
The Raptor Resource Project provides an archive of daily views of the nest over the immediate 24-hour period, taken every 2 minutes. Click on Eagle Dailies.

Who does the panning, tilting, and zooming, and when does that happen?
Bob Anderson, Executive Director of Raptor Resource Project, switches to the pan-tilt-zoom cam when time and weather permit, and especially when there appears to be interesting activity in the nest.

What is the Raptor Resource Project?
Established in 1988, the non-profit Raptor Resource Project specializes in the preservation of falcons, eagles, ospreys, hawks, and owls. They establish and strengthen breeding populations of these raptors by creating, improving, and maintaining nests and nest sites. In addition to directly managing more than 23 falcon, eagle, and owl nest sites, the Raptor Resource Center provides training in nest site creation and management across the United States, reaching more than 85,000 people each year through lectures, education programs, and the web, and develop innovations in nest site management and viewing that bring people closer to the world around them. Check out the links to cams of many of the raptor nests that RRP manages.

Symbolically Adopt a Bald Eagle

Help National Wildlife Federation in its efforts to protect the bald eagle and its habitat by adopting an eagle. Your adoption will go toward supporting NWF’s efforts with wildlife conservation, education and more. Adoption packages include a certificate, poster, bald eagle plush and more.

Adopt a bald eagle >>

Related Links

• Learn more about bald eagles and the threats they face >>
• Read an interview with the “father” of the Decorah Eagle Nest Cam.
• For more about the egg incubation process, read this great RRC blog.

The Constitution Tribune reports:

Pallid sturgeon, which are distinctively almost snow white and Federally “endangered”, and lake sturgeon are the only two species of larger fish (the rest are minnows, darters and cavefish) that are classified as endangered under Missouri Wildlife Code 10-4.111 and anglers are not allowed to possess them. Anyone catching a pallid sturgeon is required to immediately release it.

The Missouri River Recovery Team project, a cooperative effort involving MDC and their Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa counterparts plus the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S. Geological Survey, involves capturing pallid sturgeon in several locations in the Missouri River, one of the few rivers still containing any of this rare species.

See full article >>

I went to two campaign rallies tonight (well, three, but I got to the Obama rally right as it finished, so I don’t count that) and I think momentum is building toward a conservation platform. Maybe not yet as a number one issue, but I think the era of candidates ignoring the environment may be over.

The first rally was for John McCain, which was overflowing. Held at their campaign office, it was wall-to-wall people with many standing outside and very few leaving despite McCain being a half hour late. With McCain surging in New Hampshire and being endorsed by the Des Moines Register, I think he could be the surprise of Iowa after being written off months ago. And I’m not the only one who thinks that: also at the event were Tim Russert, Brian Williams and George Stephanopoulis, as well as Sky News (U.K.) and the San Francisco Chronicle with whom I chatted while waiting for the candidate.

McCain has not made huge issue of global warming on the campaign trail, but he is the only Republican candidate to regularly address the issue on the stump and is the only Republican candidate to have strong credentials in looking for solutions–seven years ago he co-authored the first comprehensive global warming legislation in Congress.

The second rally was for John Edwards, and I’ll be honest, I went because John Mellencamp was playing (and he played a heckuva set), but Edwards fiery rhetoric is always inspiring. Before John Edwards even got a chance to speak, Elizabeth Edwards praised her husband as a man that would not negotiate with Exxon and corporate polluters. John Edwards then hammered home his populist message of leaving America better off for our children than it is today. Not a bad turnout there either, well over a 1000 people in a packed ballroom.

Iowans think long and hard about their candidates, and it seems the longer and harder you think, the more you begin to recognize the environment–and global warming in particular–is an issue the next president better be ready to address.

In addition, it lays out a detailed road map of supporting policies and regional partnerships to achieve the following, amongst other things:

• 25 by 25 in renewable energy and fuels (25% by 2025).
• 2% energy from efficiency by 2015 and 2% per year thereafter.
• Carbon pipeline sited and permitted and carbon storage regs by 2012, all new coal plants to capture and store CO2 by 2020.

Six governors (from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, Kansas) and the premier of Manitoba signed the accord. The governors from Ohio, Indiana and South Dakota signed on as observers. There was a strong bipartisan message, and a strong message particularly from Iowa Gov. Chet Culver about how important it was for Presidential candidates to address this issue.

Saturday was our last day of riding, 56 miles from Dyersville to Bellevue, on the Mississippi River. We ran into the 3 Romney brothers, sons of presidential hopeful Mitt Romney. They rode the last day with matching t-shirts with their names and ’08 on the back.

I saw Josh and Craig Romney on the road and passed them, yelling out the biking etiquette “On your left!” as I went by Later, they caught up with me at a roadside stand selling fresh watermelon. I said hello and got Josh talking about global warming. He said his father accepts that global warming is real, though thinks the jury is still out on how much human activity is to blame. Regardless, however, he said Mitt believes there needs to be a global reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. When I asked him why his dad pulled Massachusetts out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) at the 11th hour (despite his administration having been a big part of creating it) he didn’t have an answer and launched into the need for other countries like China to be mandated to cut emissions.

He did say the US needs to do it’s part in reducing emissions, but that his father wants to be sure we use all available technologies, including nuclear power. I asked him if we had time to build the number of plants it would take to really address the problem and he acknowledged that nuclear is not the silver bullet and that other technologies like wind and solar need to be part of the mix.

Bottom line – He had many stock answers we hear from politicians and didn’t have detailed responses, not that I would have expected that from the son of the candidate in the middle of a bike ride across Iowa. I urged him to ask his father to make global warming a priority, and he claimed that Mitt talks about it “in every speech.” Really?

So, our wee has come to an end. I’m in the Dubuque airport on my way to Chicago, then Albany, NY and then Burlington, VT. Our team is all on our way to our perspective homes to rest up. It’s been an incredible week. We’ve spoken personally to at least 1,000 people, most of whom live (and vote) in Iowa. Our global warming message was seen via our jerseys by thousands of others. We signed up about 250 new activists and have a minimum of 100 people eager to buy a “Cycling Against Global Warming” jersey (if we ever decide to sell them!).

Mission accomplished! Thanks for reading, and stay connected to NWF as we mobilize our networks to bring meaningful global warming legislation passed and signed by a president who will make confronting global warming a priority.

As they say along the bike route when a cyclist leaves the road: Rider Off!

Yesterday, I took a break in Fairbank and took a spin around town in a horse and buggy, compliments of a local Amish farmer. He and two of his 10 brothers and sisters were giving buggy rides. The Amish live such interesting lives (at least I think so). This older teen, Freeman, farms for a living. They grow nearly all their own food and sell the rest to the local community. They use horses to plow their fields, grow diversified crops and for the most part don’t use motorized vehicles or equipment. While some may see this as an “old-fashioned” way of life, I think we can learn a lot from the Amish. Their carbon footprints are negligible. As we all try to adjust the way we live to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, we may want to think about just how independent we can be of fossil fuel based energy – by using less electricity, using alternative modes of transportation when we can (like biking to work if it’s feasible!) and growing more veggies & herbs. You don’t need to be an Amish farmer to do these things, but they sure do exemplify what’s possible!

It’s on to Dyersville today. A little rain along the way, but so far no storms. I’m liking the cooler weather (80s as opposed to 90s), but I’m still drinking lots of water and Gatorade – about 60 ounces of water and maybe 30 ounces of gatorade a day. I can tell you one thing – the dry, cracked ground in the corn fields is getting a little help from the thousands of cyclists who don’t want to wait in line for the portalets! Oh, and I had my first “Walking Taco” yesterday. It’s a bag of doritos and taco fixings heated up that you can eat on the go – yummy! More tomorrow…

OK, back to politics. We never did see Sen. Edwards on the road with Lance. But we saw some small Biden ’08 posters, a couple of kids with Rudy ’08 signs, and some big Ron Paul for President billboards out in some fields. The prevailing question from cyclists going passed the Ron Paul signs was: Who is Ron Paul?

But Edwards was on the road with Lance for a few miles, according to news reports.

Some news reports say Democrat Joe Biden’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden, was scheduled to ride today, and Republican Mitt Romney’s sons are riding tomorrow.

Kate Hofmann spoke with Christy Vilsack, wife of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. She was volunteering at a Clinton campaign booth. Kate said Mrs. Vilsack was very eager to discuss global warming, and asked Kate some probing questions that she said she would relay to Sen. Clinton. The message – make global warming a priority in the campaign!

Our team has spoken to so many local and state politicians this week, as well as hundreds of Iowans and others on RAGBRAI. The overriding theme – Iowans really get the issue of global warming, and want some action from political leaders.

We’re headed to Independence, IA today. Three days to go! Send me some comments or questions, will ya?