Member-only story
Celebrating America’s National Emblem Along With The Fourth of July
And meet my neighborhood eagles—Stars and Stripes
I couldn’t think of a more perfect story to share today than the one of Stars and Stripes — not the “forever” kind as in John Philips Sousa’s The Stars and Stripes Forever, but two very special birds of prey that have taught me a lot about freedom, nature, and community over the past seven years.
In November 2014, a pair of bald eagles built a nest above the playground where my son went to elementary school. It was an unlikely spot for an eagles’ nest, and many folks in town predicted they wouldn’t stay. The school community quickly embraced the rare chance to observe these magnificent birds and turned it into a learning opportunity for the students, even allowing the kids to vote on names for the two eagles, still known today as Stars and Stripes.
The following spring, two eggs hatched inside the nest and the students named that first pair of eaglets Hope (because they hoped the Eagles would return) and Pride (because they were proud to have the Eagles at their school). Shortly thereafter, the playground was removed and a 24-hour live web camera was installed so that students and community members could watch what was happening inside the nest. Since then, Stars has laid at least 20 eggs and a total of 15 eaglets have been born…
