Volume 12 Issue 1 (Fall 2018)
“Eagles come in all shapes and sizes, but you will recognize them chiefly by their
attitudes.” ~E. F. Schumacher

A Most Interesting Bird
~Bob Myers (LHU Director of Environmental Studies)
In 1784, two years after the United States
adopted the eagle as our national symbol,
Benjamin Franklin described it as “a Bird
of bad moral character.” In 1850, in the
preface to The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel
Hawthorne described the sculpted eagle
that guards the entrance to the Salem
Custom-House as a menacing bird: “With
the customary infirmity of temper that
characterizes this unhappy fowl, she
appears, by the fierceness of her beak and
eye and the general truculency of her attitude, to threaten mischief to the inoffensive
community; and especially to warn all citizens, careful of their safety, against intruding
on the premises which she overshadows with her wings.”
Of course these negative impressions are minority opinions. The eagle has long been a
symbol of strength and power in many cultures. There are at least 75 references to
eagles in the Judeo-Christian Bible, including the well-known passage “They who wait
for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles”
(Isaiah 40.32). In 1911 the Boy Scouts made Eagle Scout their highest award. In 1932 the
bankrupt Philadelphia Yellow Jackets drew upon imagery associated with Franklin
Roosevelt’s New Deal when they reorganized as the Philadelphia Eagles. And it’s not

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 2

accidental that Rachel Carson focused on the damage that was being done to our
national symbol in her expose of the chemical industry, Silent Spring (1962).
Accordingly, it's difficult to imagine a better subject than the American bald eagle for
analysis from the perspective of Environmental Studies, which looks at the relationship
between humans and nature. While people have always interpreted animals
symbolically and projected our characteristics onto the natural world, few species have
been as thoroughly and as variously inscribed by humans as the eagle.
The writers in this issue of the Hemlock approach eagles from a wide variety of
perspectives: scientific, historical, cultural, psychological, recreational, and personal.
I’m confident that you will enjoy their attempts to engage with this most interesting and
symbolic bird. I’d like to thank all of the contributors as well as Dean Stephen Neun for
proposing this special issue. If you would like to receive the Hemlock electronically or if
you would like to contribute to future issues, please email me at
rmyers3@lockhaven.edu.
Soaring Higher
~Robert Pignatello (LHU President)
Life can certainly take you on unexpected and surprising journeys. Such has been the
case for me when I reflect back on events in my life that led me to Lock Haven as the
leader of this great institution.
I have a lifelong connection to the bald eagle, our
University mascot. As a symbol of our country, it
reminds me of my parents who immigrated here a
long time ago—choosing to become American
citizens. Leaving all they knew and what little they
had, relying on hope and a promise that here they
would find the freedom to achieve the American
dream.
So my father, as a ten year old boy, took to the sea
with an uncle on a two week voyage that ended at
Ellis Island during our nation’s Great Depression.
Life was hard; but here, opportunity was within
reach.

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 3

My father was fiercely patriotic and a proud American. He believed in our nation and
the right to vote and influence the life we have. That, for him, was sacred. So we raised
the flag on important American holidays, he followed events in the newspaper, on the
radio and television, and was always informed—and had an opinion. I remember
staying up as a family and watching as we landed on the moon. Such memories serve as
indelible reminders of the value of our own freedom as Americans and our national
pride.
Despite his own lack of formal education, he knew it would only be through a college
degree that his children could achieve what was not available to him. With the wages of
a factory worker he saved and made sure I graduated college. Were it not for our local
state institution, its low tuition and nearby location, that goal would not have been
attainable.
Public higher education is a public good. I believe in making our mission and programs
more accessible to students and providing them a high value, high quality education
that will allow them to pursue their passions and realize their dreams. Already, The
Haven is a positive force in students’ lives, serving as an engine for upward mobility.
We rate number four in the state system for our ability to move students from the lower
60% of family income to the top 40%. This fact benefits not only our students, but also
the Commonwealth and our region. Close to 25,000 LHU alumni live in Pennsylvania,
driving the state’s economy and serving as leaders in their professions.
My father’s great interest in civic affairs inspired me to seek a career in public service—
so I ran and held elected office. In many ways it was to honor my parents’ sacrifice and
to give back and actively take advantage of the rights and privilege we have to shape
our democracy.
So today, when I see the bald eagle, I think of our country’s values— freedom, liberty,
hope, opportunity, and how the dream transformed our family.
Eagles also represent for me the vast natural beauty of our region and our nation. As a
protected bird, it reminds me how fragile our environment is today—how our natural
resources are threatened. It begs the question, what can we do as an institution to raise
awareness and be part of the solution? What can we do to create a more sustainable
world and protect our natural resources? How can we help our students make a
contribution? Together we can answer these important questions.
Interestingly, throughout my life, I have surrounded myself with bald eagle images. An
eagle portrait and wood sculpture have resided in my office for most of my long career

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 4

in higher education. Today they have a proud home in the President’s office and serve
as reminders of our mission and our responsibility to our students and to our
namesake.
Consequently, for me it is very powerful that we are the Bald Eagles. There is such a
deep personal connection. Consider the traits an eagle symbolizes—so much applies to
us. Eagles are renowned for their superior vision and focus. They are keen and
resourceful—soaring higher than almost any other bird. So, too, should we help our
Bald Eagles at the Haven see clearly and think strategically to reach new heights.
Our students arrive at The Haven with noble goals—a desire to lead and to serve. We
are here to help them achieve their vision—to contribute meaningfully to their
communities by preparing them to be leaders in fields like healthcare, education,
science, and more. I think back to my own college years, to the fact that access to public
higher education provided me with opportunity. The dream transformed our family.
Our obligation as educators is to be enablers of that dream. Serving as leader at The
Haven my role is mobilize all of us to stay focused on that obligation, on improving our
students’ experience and ultimately their success.
If we work together we can help them fly higher—to soar like bald eagles.

Bald Eagles in Pennsylvania
~Dr. Shonah A. Hunter (Professor, Department of Biological Science)
In spring of 1990 when I first taught Ornithology here at LHU, it was unheard of to see
a bald eagle in this area. Throughout the 1970s, only 3 bald eagle nests were
documented in Crawford County, Pennsylvania (NW PA) and there was general
concern that this majestic bird would disappear from Pennsylvania forever. Since that
time, the bald eagle population in Pennsylvania has made an amazing recovery due to
changing environmental regulations, habitat conservation, and population restoration.

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 5

During the first half of the 20th century, bald eagle populations had been declining
nationwide due to habitat changes, degrading water quality, and increased shootings.
However, the most significant
impact on raptor populations after
WW II was the widely used
pesticide DDT. Bioaccumulation of
the pesticide residues in the food
chain resulted in significant eggshell
thinning in raptors because it
interfered with calcium metabolism
necessary for hard shells. When the
females tried to brood the eggs
during incubation, the eggs were
Photo by Edie Cox and Sonia Graybill
crushed and the embryos died.
Pennsylvania-native Rachel Carson
published her book Silent Spring in 1962 clearly documenting the decline in bird
populations was due to DDT residues and other pesticides in the environment. Her
work led to the ban of DDT in 1972, and an increased awareness of human impacts on
the environment.
Increased environmental consciousness in the 1970s lead to the reaffirmation of the
Migratory Bird Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Act and established the Clean Water
Act and the Endangered Species Act to help conserve bird and wildlife populations in
the U.S. In 1983-1988, the Pennsylvania Game Commission initiated the bald eagle
Recovery Program to reestablish the state’s eagle population. Eighty-eight bald eagle
nestlings were transported from Saskatchewan, Canada and placed into a hacking
program. Hacking is the process whereby nestlings are placed into special boxes and
cared for in a way to prevent them from imprinting on humans. They are fed for
several weeks through a trap door using hand puppets resembling the parents, and are
gradually given more freedom as they develop towards fledging, flight, and
independence. Hacking programs have been very successful for most raptor species,
because adults tend to return to the area from which they are fledged, thus establishing
a potential local breeding population.
The Bald Eagle Recovery Program has been an unquestionable success. At the end of
the 1st Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas (1983-1989), 12 bald eagle nests were
confirmed in the state. During the 2nd Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas (2004-2009),
226 bald eagle nests were confirmed; an increase of 1783%. Due to the success of state
recovery programs, the bald eagle was removed from the federal Endangered Species

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 6

list in 2007 and in Pennsylvania its status was changed from Endangered to Protected in
2014.
During the last decade, bald eagles have consistently nested in the Pine Creek Valley
(Lycoming County) and Bald Eagle State Park (Centre County). Wayne Laubscher, a
longtime Clinton County birder, LHU alumnus, and member of the local West Branch
Bird Club, reports increased nesting activity here in Clinton County in the past 5 years
with “nests at Mill Hall, River Road east of LH, Kettle Creek SP, on the mountain across
the river from South Avis, and on the river along Rt. 120”. Here in Lock Haven, it is not
uncommon for levee-walkers to see a bald eagle patrolling the Susquehanna River for
food. During our Ornithology class field trip to Bald Eagle State Park in Spring 2017,
we spotted not 1, but 2 bald eagles in trees right along Rt. 150. Needless to say, that
required a quick U-turn and intense binocular viewing by the whole class and remains
a highlight of our birding activity.
bald eagle nests have spread throughout the state and have been documented in 58 of
the 67 counties. The Pennsylvania Game Commission has done an excellent job of
educating the public about this species and has produced a documentary on the 30
years of conservation and restoration of the population. There has been a live stream of
a bald eagle nest in Hanover, PA since 2015, which has had over 1.4 million viewings
during that time. People enthusiastically watch the nesting progress of the eagle
parents as they feed and care for their eaglets, and launch them into independence.
Although there has been much success in recovery efforts for the bald eagle population,
the fight is not over. DDT residues remain in the soil and are still affecting bird
populations and other organisms, including humans. People still indiscriminately
shoot bald eagles and other raptors with little fear of being caught. Lead shot from
waterfowl and game carcasses, and lead fishing lures in fish are ingested by the birds
and cause systemic nervous, muscular-skeletal, and digestive system damage. Affected
birds may be captured and transported to a wildlife rehabilitation facility, but the
prognosis is usually not good and most often it is fatal. The current federal government
is trying to roll back the very environmental protections that directly contributed to the
success of the bald eagle and other species’ population recovery. We have to be
educated, vigilant, and proactive to continue to protect our environment and native
species. We do not want to return to the days of rarely seeing our majestic bald eagle
and beloved LHU mascot soaring over the skies of Lock Haven and nesting in our
beautiful Pennsylvania Wilds.
Find out where bald eagles are being seen in your area using Pennsylvania ebird:
https://ebird.org/pa/home and go out and watch them. You’ll be hooked!

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 7

For more information, check out some of the sources I consulted to write this article:
American Eagle Foundation. n.d. Eagle Hacking. <https://www.eagles.org>.
Environmental Protection Agency. <https://www.epa.gov>.
Pennsylvania Game Commission. 2013. Bald Eagles <https://www.pgc.pa.gov>.
U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2017. <https://www.fws.gov>.
Wilson, A.M., D. W. Brauning and R. S. Mulvihill, Editors. 2012. Second Atlas of
Breeding Birds in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania State University Press.
http://www.pabirdatlas.psu.edu.
The Bald Eagle Mascot in LHU History
~Joby Topper (LHU Library Director)
Johnny Wynne (1906-1969), the sports editor of the Lock Haven Express, asked his
readers an interesting question in the issue of October 2, 1935:
“Neither the noble football warriors of the Purple and White, or in other words,
Lock Haven High School, nor the Teachers College’s Maroon and Steel soldiers
has adopted any sort of permanent mascot. Why???”
Wynne, whose pen name was “Old Scribbles,” had some reason to be disappointed. By
1935, mascots were part of the fabric of American sports culture, especially at the
college level. Yale, for example, adopted a bulldog named Handsome Dan as the school
mascot in 1889. Handsome Dan was Yale’s good luck charm. In fact, the French word
mascotte means “lucky charm.” Its root is the medieval Latin word masca, meaning
“witch.” Witches are known for casting charms and spells—hence the connection.
It was time for a true mascot, a real lucky
charm, not just a nickname based on the
school’s original colors—“Maroon and
Steel/Gray”—or the school’s vocational
purpose—“the Lock Haven Teachers.” We
needed something catchy. Wynne noted the
importance of name recognition: “Every sports
fan has heard of the Bucknell Bison, the
Nittany Lion of Penn State, the Yale Bulldog,
the Penn Quakers, the Princeton Tigers, the Pitt
Panthers, and the Temple Owls.” Perhaps to
apply peer pressure, he mentioned two of our
sister schools that had mascots: the

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 8

Bloomsburg Huskies and the Kutztown Keys. (“Keys” came from Kutztown’s original
name, “the Keystone Normal School.” Kutztown’s current mascot is the Golden Bear.)
To his credit, Wynne did not simply complain. He made a list of suggestions: the
Indians (because Great Island was “an Indian town”); the Pointers (from “the Point,”
the piece of land where Bald Eagle Creek and the West Branch meet); the Lumberjacks
or Sawyers (“because it was the lumber industry which gave Lock Haven its original
boom”); the Colts (for Major William Colt, who helped create Clinton County); the
Boatmen or Mules (for the men who steered the boats, and the mules that hauled the
boats, through the old canal); and finally the Bald Eagles, “due to the proximity of Bald
Eagle Creek, Valley, and Mountains.”
The students at Lock Haven High School immediately responded to Wynne’s question,
though he may not have been thrilled with their choice. They selected the Bobcat,
which was not on his list of suggestions.
The students here at LHU (i.e., the Lock Haven State Teachers College) decided to wait.
Meanwhile, at least three more of our sister schools adopted mascots—the Mansfield
Mountaineers, the Shippensburg Ships (now the Raiders), and the California Vulcans.
A mascot movement was afoot. Finally, in 1937, during the week of October 24-27, our
students conducted the mascot election.
The final vote came down to two birds: the raven and the bald eagle. While the raven
had the advantage of rhyme—the “Haven Raven”—this was not enough to win the
election. Besides its status as our National Bird, the bald eagle’s main advantage, as
Scribbles had noted in 1935, was the proximity of Bald Eagle Creek, Bald Eagle Valley,
and Bald Eagle Mountain.
The creek, the valley, and the mountain were named in the 18th century when bald
eagles were common in the West Branch Valley. With that said, these landmarks were
not directly named for the birds. They were named for Chief Woapalanne, the leader of
the Munsee tribe of the Lenni-Lenape Nation, who lived in the Bald Eagle Valley during
the mid-1700s. Woapalanne’s name translates to “Bald Eagle.”
Bald eagles were rarely seen in this area by the time we adopted the bald eagle as our
mascot in 1937. Deforestation and water pollution—and the resulting decline of the
bald eagle’s supply of fish—took their toll during the peak lumbering years and the
early days of industrialization, 1870-1900. Many bald eagles were killed by trophy
hunters and by farmers protecting their chickens. The federal Bald Eagle Protection Act
of 1940, passed just a few years after our mascot election, was too late to save the bald

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 9

eagles of the West Branch. The use of DDT as an insecticide during the 1940s and 50s
drove the already small population of bald eagles in central Pennsylvania to near
extinction.
Fortunately, the story of the bald eagle in the West Branch Valley did not end there.
Thanks to reintroduction efforts of the past 35 years, we now have an estimated 300
nests in Pennsylvania. At least one of these nests is along the river at Lock Haven, and
at least three others are within a 15-minute drive of campus (Salona, Lamar, and Bald
Eagle State Park).
The history of the costumed bald eagle mascot begins in 1983—the same year, fittingly,
that the Pennsylvania Game Commission began to reintroduce the bald eagle.
Although costumed mascots had been around for decades, they became hugely popular
during the 1970s thanks to master
showmen like The San Diego
Chicken (“hatched” in 1974) and
the Phillie Phanatic (born in 1977).
Closer to home, the appearance of
“Ernie the Eagle” at Clarion
University in 1979 may have
provided the final bit of motivation
for us to jump on the costumed
mascot bandwagon. On January 24,
1983, the Undergraduate Alumni
Association (UAA) held a bake sale
in Thomas Fieldhouse to raise
money for a bald eagle costume.
With money raised from the bake
sale and from other sources, we finally put a proud Lock Haven student in a bald eagle
costume. “The Bird” (called “Talon” since 2013) was hatched at halftime of the SUNYBuffalo football game at Jack Stadium on November 10, 1984.
One of our earliest mascots was Brian Wisler (’90), our Bald Eagle from 1987 to 1990. I
don’t yet know the identities of our very first mascots, 1984-87. Maybe this article will
attract attention and draw out those anonymous alumni. I would love to meet with
them, and with Brian Wisler, and talk about mascot history.
In closing, I tip my cap to Johnny Wynne, “Old Scribbles,” whose aforementioned 1935
editorial was the catalyst for our mascot election of 1937. Wynne, a native of Renovo,
died of a heart attack in Lock Haven on June 14, 1969, at age 62. He was a writer for the

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 10

Express for nearly forty years. Wynne is buried at St. Agnes Cemetery on Glen Road,
about half a mile from campus. May he rest in peace.
For 81 years, the bald eagle has been our university mascot. For 34 of those years, our
costumed bald eagle has been leading cheers and entertaining sports fans in Thomas
Fieldhouse and around our athletic fields. As our local bald eagle population continues
to grow, I look forward to seeing more of our mascots—our flying lucky charms—as
they soar over this beautiful campus.
Top-Level Predators
~Mike Myers (LHU Recreation Management Major)
Many people have their favorite outdoor destination in Pennsylvania whether it be the
camp they’ve gone to with their family since they were a kid, or the deer stand where
they took their first shot. Maybe it is the stream where they went to fish with their
friends after school, sitting back in a cathartic state as the sound of rushing water and
jumping fish drowns out the load of homework resting in the back of their minds. Many
of us who have that sacred place want to protect it because it has a special value that
brings you back time and time again. What we must remember is that we are not the
only ones who have these sacred places. For some inhabitants of the PA wilderness it’s
not called a tree stand, it’s a nest or a perch, and it’s not a stream for sport fishing but a
stream filled with your family’s primary source of food. For the American bald eagle
the Pennsylvania wilderness is not just a spot for leisure and recreation but a home
where they use their phenomenal skills to hunt, fish, and raise their young.
When people think of birds of prey or symbols of hunting prowess often times owls,
hawks, and falcons are among the first to come to mind, and rightfully so. Not many
people rank bald eagles very high on that list due to their love of the predeceased, or
carrion. As Benjamin Franklin put it eagles are, “birds of bad moral character” who “do
not get their living honestly” and are “too lazy to fish.” While it is true that eagles do
enjoy the taste of a ripe piece of dead meat, it would be wrong to say that it makes them
any less of a hunter or predatory bird. In fact, bald eagles are some of the most cunning,
and resourceful hunters in the wild and would put even the best human hunters to
shame. Eagles have a unique set of abilities that make them perfectly suited for taking
out prey. With an enormous seven-foot wingspan (which is about the exact height of
Michael Jordan) eagles are able to soar high in the air looking for potential meals. Bald
eagles have on average 7,000 feathers on their body, and many of the primary feathers
are adjustable so they can maneuver quite easily throughout the air. While their average
speed in the air is around 30 mph, when an eagle locks onto its target it can dive at
speeds up to 100 mph and take out its prey with deadly precision.

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 11

Along with great stealth, eagles use the razor-sharp scythes they have attached to their
legs to grip onto their prey. An adult bald eagle has a set of four talons that resemble
claw machines in arcades, although these claws always get the prize. With three
powerful front talons and a fourth called the Hallux, Eagles can easily grip branches,
perches, and prey. Eagles need these powerful legs and sharp talons to hold onto the
high perches where they settle
in to spot their prey. Since eagles
are like the Boeing 747s of the
bird world it takes a lot of space
to take off, and land safely.
Many adolescents will fly in like
a bat out of hell and completely
miss their perch and end up
several feet beyond in a
completely different tree, or
upside down barely clutching
on to the wrong branch. When
the bald eagle does successfully
get to its desired perch, it will
most likely spend a great deal of
Photo by Edie Cox and Sonia Graybill
time there peering out over the
landscape looking for potential meals. Like many birds of prey eagles have incredible
eye sight, having around four times better vision than humans. This incredible eyesight
helps them to also spot potential threats to their young eaglets high atop their massive
homes.
With a primary diet consisting of fish, eagles are most commonly spotted along river
banks and lake fronts, nesting high up in a tree sitting and waiting for the perfect
moment to dive down and snatch a delicious fish from the water. If sitting and waiting
for the right opportunity becomes too much of a bother, eagles will use their
domineering presence and skill to steal a meal from a fellow bird of prey. Author Jon
Gerrard tells the story of an encounter between a bald eagle and an Osprey, “We were
not prepared for what happened. After three unsuccessful attacks, the eagle turned to
brute force. This time coming up fast from behind and below, the eagle flipped onto its
back, thrust its talons upward, and ripped the fish right out of the osprey’s grasp. What
a sight!” (37) The bald eagles are incredible survivors who will use whatever means
necessary to feed their young.

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 12

Bald eagles are some of the best animal engineers in the world when it comes to the
mansions that are their nests, returning year after year to build further expansions. On
average a bald eagle nest is around five feet wide, and three feet deep allowing for the
whole family to enjoy some space. Building these lofty penthouses in the sky is a
cooperative job between the male and female eagle, each one adding more branches and
twigs to accommodate the incoming fledglings. Just as most people enjoy the benefits of
being a homeowner, eagles will return every year to the same nest, building and
making repairs. Some eagles take such pride in their nests that they will build onto it for
decades, the largest recorded bald eagle nest was around nine feet wide and 20 feet
deep, weighing as much as a car at two tons. These nests provide eagles with protection
for their young who take time to develop into the strong birds that they are.
Bald eagles are truly some of the most amazing predatory birds in the world. With their
large array of hunting talents these birds soar through the sky with beauty that is jawdropping when seen in person. Seeing eagles fly through the groves of White Pines and
Hemlocks and dip down into the cold water of Pine Creek instills me with a sense of
respect for the Pennsylvania landscape. The story for the bald eagle wasn’t always a
happy one, with large dips in population due to hunting, and stunted birth rates due to
DDT use. Now that population numbers are back to where they used to be it is
important to remember that we share this land with these incredible birds and need to
maintain a positive relationship with the environment around us. If you are ever so
lucky as to see one of these great birds swoop down and use those talons to scoop up a
fish from the water, you’ve had an experience that you will remember forever, and a
deeper connection with the beautiful Pennsylvania wild.
For more information see Jon M. Gerrard and Gary R. Bortolotti’s The Bald Eagle: Haunts
and Habits of a Wilderness Monarch (Smithsonian Books, 1988).
Bald Eagles and Hummingbirds: Opening to Awe
~Lynn Bruner (LHU Psychology Professor)
As a child, I was lucky to have parents who were avid nature walkers and bird
watchers. I grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs knowing the names of backyard birds,
interestedly watching their feeding, courting, nesting, and migratory habits. However,
something new came into my life at about six, when I started reading the National
Wildlife Federation’s magazine for children, Ranger Rick. Reading one issue, I studied a
chart showing the cycle of the pesticide DDT: it was sprayed to kill mosquitoes, the
chemical got into the waterways, the DDT contaminated fish, and bald eagles ate the
fish. Then the eagles, poisoned by DDT, laid eggs with thin or rubbery shells, and the
parents’ normal nurturing behaviors toward the eggs led to them breaking. Eagles lay

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 13

only one to three eggs a year, so whole clutches, whole generations of bald eagles were
being lost. The image of a mother eagle looking down at her broken eggs, seemingly
confused, broke my six-year-old heart. I ran in tears to my mother, crying “I’m never
going to see a bald eagle! They’re all going
to die!” How could such an amazing bird
be lost to us? I wanted so badly to see
eagles in the wild, and I feared so deeply
that I never would.
When I moved to Lock Haven in 2002, I
enjoyed exploring opportunities for
walking and birding here, especially as I
was moving back to Pennsylvania after
five years of urban living in Chicago.
During that first winter, my parents came
to visit, and we went walking on the Pine
Creek Rail Trail. Standing shivering on an
old railroad bridge, we focused our field
Photo by Edie Cox and Sonia Graybill
glasses on what looked like a mink,
scurrying furtively along the bank with a fish in its mouth. The mink kept looking up
worriedly over its shoulder, and my dad wondered aloud if it had somehow noticed us
far above it on the bridge. Then, in brilliance of black and white and gold, a bald eagle
sped through our lines of sight, zeroing in on the mink. “Eagle, eagle, eagle!” I cried,
not even realizing that I was shouting, joy lighting my chest. The mink, folding itself
into a scuttling hunch, managed to disappear with the fish into a hole in the bank,
leaving the eagle to land, sulky and disappointed, on an overhanging branch. It glared
at the hole, tipped its head to glare at us, shrugged its feathers back into place, and took
off, skimming the bridge arches. Tipping our field glasses up, we watched it as long as
we could, really past the point of being able to see it any longer, before allowing our
craning necks to relax. And then, silence. What could be said after such a gift of
wildness and grace? We exchanged enormous smiles, stuffed gloved hands in our
pockets and stood, content with wordlessness, transcendent, shaking with the January
cold. Winter light tipped every ripple on Pine Creek, and the sky was full of possibility.
We are lucky in the Lock Haven area: bald eagles live and mate and breed here, and so
many nestlings have successfully fledged that we can see eagles regularly, all year
round. Even so, every bald eagle I see carries some of the thrill of that first. Bald eagles
are enormous; their soaring flight is the epitome of majesty and grace; their very
existence in the midst of our daily lives seems so improbable. They awe us. Lately, I’ve
been reading about humans’ desire for, and need for, awe in their lives. In recent

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 14

research in positive psychology, experiences of awe have been associated with reduced
self-absorption, reduced rumination on one’s problems and worries, and increased
compassion and empathy for others. Experiences of awe remind us that “it’s not all
about me.” There is a greater world, a deeper understanding, a vaster universe beyond
our small selves. In a 2012 article in the Journal of Marketing Research, two University of
Pennsylvania professors at the Wharton School of Business examined articles from the
New York Times that readers most often shared on social media or in e-mails. They
found that people forwarded articles for reasons involving self-presentation (look how
smart I am!) or a need to convey information, but the majority involved a wish to share
something awe-inspiring. I found this amazing thing, people wanted to say, and I
wanted you to have the chance to be amazed too. Here. Look at this.
John Muir knew full well that experiences in nature can bring us to states of
transcendent awe: in My First Summer in the Sierras, he wrote “We are now in the
mountains and they are in us, kindling enthusiasm, making every nerve quiver, filling
every pore and cell of us. Our flesh-and-bone tabernacle seems transparent as glass to
the beauty about us, as if truly an inseparable part of it, thrilling with the air and trees,
streams and rocks, in the waves of the sun—a part of all nature, neither old nor young,
sick nor well, but immortal.” Many of us may assume that this kind of transcendence is
beyond us, available only to great wilderness adventurers and mystics like Muir, who
spend days, months, or years deeply engaged in the outdoors. Yet, ordinary people
have opportunities everywhere in the natural world to stop, look deeply, and allow
ourselves to be overtaken by awe.
From mid-May to late September, I keep a hummingbird feeder clean and full. If I’m
lucky, I’ll have more than one nesting pair of ruby-throated hummingbirds visiting the
feeder, chipping through their parabolic courting flights, and bringing their fledglings
to the feeder for some first tentative sips. If I’m really lucky, I can have closer
encounters. Early this summer, I was kneeling in damp grass, putting in new plants:
native perennials touted as bee, butterfly, and hummingbird friendly. A light drizzle
was falling, so I’d tucked my hair into a red baseball cap. Straightening after tamping
dirt around a coneflower seedling, I found myself face to face with a male ruby-throat.
Suspended on a breath, I watched him hover, seeming to examine my glasses and the
wide eyes behind them, before he flipped his tail to slip upward and investigate my hat
brim. Everything was silent around me: nothing existed but this improbably tiny bird,
so enormously close. He came back to face level, again seeming to examine me
carefully, then darted to the safety of an oak tree. I breathed again. I realized the
cardinal across the street was still singing. I was here, in the yard, mountains curling
toward me, rain beading on my face, knees planted on the planet, one small being in her
shared habitat. I was deeply present and wholly transcendent. A tiny moment, yet one

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 15

that informed that whole day; one, like the eagle encounter, that I can remember with
vivid precision, in all my senses.
There are so many possibilities. Bald eagles and ruby-throated hummingbirds. Forest
floors full of blooming mountain laurels and burgeoning backyard dandelions. Spring
trees reddening across mountain ridges and single crisping autumn leaves. Look up.
Look down. See something flying by, and follow its path until you remember what you
have always known, that you are a small amazed creature on a magnificent planet. Let
awe find you. Open up.
The Eagle of Legend
~Norman Houser (LHU History Major)
The sun was barely in the sky as I started to hike through Spring Creek Canyon. The
small group of us had only managed to go a short distance when Mike pointed out the
eagle perched in the tree on the opposite side of the creek. We were all instantly
enthralled by the sighting. It had been years since I had seen one in the wild and this
was the first sighting of an eagle for many of our group.
We watched the eagle until it took flight and soared across the sky. Following Spring
Creek vanished into the forest. There was no doubt in my mind why they have become
a part of our culture and traditions and why they were a part of the traditions of the
Indian nations that lived here before the Europeans. The eagle is a symbol of strength
and power, action and grace, and leadership and vision.
In many traditions, the eagle has played an important part in the lore of the culture. The
eagle is one of the few creatures that most Indian nations deem sacred. The Great Spirit
created the eagle to be a leader among all creatures: no other can fly as high or see as far
as the eagle. This height always it to be closer to the Great Spirit and allows it to see the
past, present and future. The relationship the eagle has with the Great Spirit gives it
great honor and Indian cultures believe that it should not should not be killed or eaten.
Those cultures who allow for the killing of eagle have in place strict rules of how, when,
and who is allowed to kill the eagle.
The eagle is an important part of Indian cultures. The Abenaki, which were traditionally
located in New England, had an intense relationship with the eagle in many different
forms. According to their legends, a deity called “Kisosen,” or “Sun-Bringer” was an
eagle that creates each day by opening its wings and brings about night by closing
them. The Abenaki also had “Wad-zoo-sen,” a spirit eagle that controls the winds.

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 16

The Iroquois also viewed the eagle as
having an important part of their
mythology. They tell the story of
Jowiis, an Indian boy, who brought
the bird dances to the First People.
After getting lost while hunting
Donyondo, the bald eagle, saw the
dying boy lying on the riverbank.
Donyondo returned the boy to a
village and left him there. When he
was not discovered by the villagers,
Photo by Edie Cox and Sonia Graybill
Jowiis would be taken to the Land of
the Birds, where the Golden Eagle decreed that Jowiis would be taught the language
and dances of the bird.
The eagle is also associated with thunder in many of the Indian cultures. The ability to
create thunder with the flapping of its wings has given the eagle a connection to the
supernatural. Known as thunderbirds, some cultures have the mystical creature having
the ability to bring rain and can shoot lightening from its eyes. The legend of the
thunderbird is one that has morphed over the years and has become engrained as a part
of modern society. In modern times, the thunderbird bird has been associated with any
large, unidentified bird of prey.
While eagle legends vary most agree that when an eagle appears to you, it means that
you are being put on notice. It is there to teach a lesson. One legend of the Lenni Lenapi
states if a warrior could pluck a feather from the tail of a live eagle it was a sign of
bravery and brought good luck.
Once a young warrior went in search of an eagle feather, but he was not satisfied with a
regular tail feather – he wanted the best feather from the largest eagle. He brought meat
to the place where eagles were often spotted in search of the eagle feather. Eagle after
eagle came to eat the meat and he left each one pass, unhappy with the “small” eagles.
Suddenly the largest eagle he had ever seen landed and approached. Before the warrior
come react, the eagle grabbed him and took him to its nest of a high cliff, from which
there was no escape.
In the nest were a number of young eagles. The warrior was commanded by the large
eagle to stay in the nest and care for the young eagles until they learned to fly as a
punishment for not accepting the feathers from the eagles he had passed over. After
many days, the young eagles learned to fly and would be gone for hours, leaving the

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 17

warrior alone in the nest. Finally the old eagle returned with the four eagles that had
been in the nest. Two of the eagles grabbed him and returned him to the place he had
been abducted from. The warrior quickly gathered up some of the feathers that were on
the ground having learned his lesson that opportunities will finally cease to come if you
continue to brush them aside in search of a better one.
The bald eagle has retained a mystic quality through generations. The bird held sacred
by Indian cultures has become twined with a new nation as a bird of strength and
honor, but mostly importantly, it is the bringer of a lesson – may we all learn something
from the majestic creature.
Eagles in the Area
~John Reid (LHU Physics Professor)
Where are all the damn eagles? That’s what we were asking as we headed out on a few
trips to rediscover them for this issue of the Hemlock. It became a running joke, not
because we couldn’t find them, but because of the irony in the fact that we see them all
the time on our many outings. There are lots of them around and some not far at all
from Lock Haven. Now we were looking for them and we couldn’t find them--not a
damn one.
I remember when I first moved to Central PA in the mid-80s. In grad school, friends
and I often stole opportunities to get out of the lab and into the woods. These trips
often involved fishing, camping, or just driving around on some back roads. Didn’t
much matter, we always had a good time. I remember one trip up to Wellsboro.
Somehow, we caught wind of there being an eagle’s nest up there. They weren’t so
common back then, and the expense of gas seemed like a worthy reallocation of
precious beer and pizza funds.
It was. I’ll never forget seeing that bird soar over the lake that day. It’s hard to miss a
mature eagle with that bright white head and tail. I really have no idea how many
eagles were nesting in our woods in those days, but I do know it seemed like a rare and
wonderful thing. Last time I’d seen an eagle was with my brother high up in the
mountains of northern California. We did the same thing as my grad school friends
and I did at Wellsboro – just watched in awe.
I still do. And now I know there are so many to be found nearby. The internet can tell
you that. It will tell you all the locations of nests in PA
(https://www.fws.gov/northeast/pafo/bald_eagle_map.html). Over 300 hundred of
them! Imagine that. But I knew there were many to be found nearby before looking on

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 18

the internet because I looked outside. (Imagine that.) I’ve gotten a kick out of the fact
that knowing where eagles are is part of the local culture. So many times I’ve said to
someone something like, “I was floating on Bald Eagle Creek behind Walmart and saw
a bald eagle.” And they’ll tell me, “Oh yeah, that’s the one that has a nest over by the
country club. There’s two juveniles flying around, too.” People know these things and
love to share them and share in the thrill.
One day I was walking up to main campus on the dike. I was about at Boom Island
when I saw a large bird a good bit up-river about 40 feet above the water gliding
downriver. I watched it approach, trying to figure out what it was, and, as it got closer,
I was able to eliminate the other larger birds (goose, hawk, vulture, heron...). It angled
off the river and began a steady cruise along the dike. As it glided my way, it was hard,
at first, to see that distinctive white head. When I did, I was even more excited realizing
that it would be passing directly over me. When it went by, it was probably 20 feet
above. Took my breath away.
For me that was a rare sight - seeing one on the river. I float Pine Creek when I can, and
usually with my friend Bob. Seeing them there is a typical experience. That, to me, is
an amazing thing. We see them in many places along Pine, but there are a couple places
where they are more likely sighted it seems, certainly where the known nests are. The
one nest we know well is the one at the little village of Cedar Run.
There lots of reasons to head up that way aside from eagles. It’s a good drive to get to
Cedar Run from Lock Haven. Take Rt. 44 north, then fork onto Rt. 414. Cedar Run has
a little store, the Cedar Run General Store. It’s one of my favorite places to get ice
cream. They also have great sandwiches for lunch. Across the (only) street is the Cedar
Run Inn. It’s a charming bed & breakfast and a worthwhile destination for an excellent
three-course dinner.
Oh yeah, the eagles. Just about every time we float past Cedar Run we see an eagle.
Look over to your right and up the hillside, and it’s not hard to spot the nest high up in
a hemlock tree. Whether doing a float, or out for a bike ride on the rail-trail, or just
going there for a weekend drive, it’s fun to sit on the bench by the creek and relax (ice
cream helps). If the eagle is in the nest it’s easy to spot. If not, if you wait, there’s a
good chance you’ll see it appear in the air somewhere (more ice cream helps). Many
times, along with the mature eagle, we’ve seen juveniles squawking in the nest or flying
around. One time, when we were drifting past, looking for the eagle, we were excited
to see an osprey there instead. That didn’t last long. The eagle came out of nowhere
and we witnessed a battle in the air that lasted several minutes. The osprey moved on.

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 19

My last little story is one that happens now and then
on a Pine Creek float. Sometimes Bob or I will spot an
eagle flying over the stream up ahead. If we’re lucky
it perches on a branch overhanging the water. We
pull in the paddles and let the flow quietly move us
by. In the lush green of the trees the stark whites of
head and tail stand out. We’ve gone right underneath
an eagle many times, just quietly eyeing each other it’s focused glower steadily following us below.
Along with the wonderment of the moment I can’t
shake the unnerving feeling that I’m being sized up.
For sure, Pine Creek is not just a beautiful place, but
also a beautiful place to commonly see eagles.

Photo taken by Bob at Pine Creek in 2013

Now all this still begs the question; why didn’t we find any on our recent journeys?
Several times we drove to Bald Eagle State Park and Little Pine State Park. Both have
well established and well-known nests, and we’ve both seen the eagles there many
times. If you go, stop by the park offices and they’ll tell you where the nests are and the
latest on sittings. A kayak is a good way to see the nests at each place. Even if you
don’t find the nests you’re likely to see the eagles flying around. At Bald Eagle you’ll
also see many osprey. A good viewing location at Bald Eagle is at the end of Main Park
Rd, which is the entrance to Hunter Cove. You often find people there with binoculars
looking south across the lake at the nests. At Little Pine State Park they have a great
little viewing area with good signage. The viewing area is just past the park office and
boat launch on Little Pine Creek Rd. There’s a small pull-off on your right after the
parking area.
Well, I haven’t answered the question yet. After several failed attempts at finding the
eagles in their nests, we finally did what I just suggested above; We stopped by the park
office. Turns out the eagles are not nesting these days (fall). They’re still out and about,
just not where we were looking. No complaints from us, though. We had a great time
hiking around the trails and taking in all the beauty.
So, if you want to know where to see an eagle, get on the internet and find out where
the nests are. Better yet, start asking people around you. Not only will you learn where
to go, but you’re likely to hear a fun story or two.

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 20

A Symbolic Bird
~Hannah Bell (LHU Recreation Management Major)
When the words “bald eagle” are said, most people think of the United States of
America’s national symbol. Or they think of the beautiful birds who soar high in the
sky, or maybe even an encounter they personally had with the bird before. The people
thinking these thoughts are not original, in fact people have been thinking about the
majestic bird for centuries across multiple cultures and countries. The question remains
though, why are these birds such a fascination to humans, so much so that heavy
symbolism is placed on the birds? To unravel that mystery, one must start at the
beginning of time with ancient civilizations.
One of the earliest mentions of bald eagles and the power they represent was by the
Aztecs. In ancient Aztec history, the chief god told the people to settle at the place
where they found an eagle perched on a cactus eating a snake. We know that place
today as Mexico City. The bald eagle has also been mentioned in various religions.
Early christians used the sign of an eagle to instill strength, hope and salvation in
followers. An eagle also appears twice in the Bible in Revelations, both times being
referenced as being on God’s side. Islam also uses an eagle in parts of the Quran. To
Islamic people, the eagle resembles warlike ferocity, nobility and dominion.
Throughout history, various nations, religions and tribes have placed such high praise
on the bald eagle, much like humans today.
Since bald eagles fly higher than any other bird, they are considered man’s connection
to the divine. Eagles also convey the powers and messages of the spirit, again relating
them to the divine. Native Americans held these same beliefs, and often credited eagles
as symbols of power, vision and leadership. Pueblo Indians also associated eagles with
energies of the sun (physical and spiritual) as well as symbols of greater sight and
perception. When white settlers started moving to the America’s, they knew of the
symbolism put on eagle’s, which helped the founding fathers of The United States
decide what the national bird should be.

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 21

In 1782 after years of discussion, the
founding fathers of the U.S. came to an
agreement on the national symbol, a bald
eagle. The Great Seal of America even
depicts a bald eagle holding an olive
branch in one talon, and thirteen arrows in
the other talon. Also on the eagle is a flag
with thirteen red and white stripes and in
its beak is a banner that reads 'E Pluribus
Unum', which means “out of many, one.”
The founding fathers knew that bald eagles
were described as being majestic, which
means “like a king”. Even though the
country decided to forgo a monarchy, the founding fathers still thought the national
symbol should hold power. Also, bald eagles are free to roam and fly high in the skies,
which means a lot. Americans had just fled from a king who controlled them, taxed
them without representation and took away various forms of their freedom. In choosing
a bald eagle, a statement was being made that the people of the new country were
flying away from their previous rulers, and had finally achieved the freedom they had
been craving. There is a story from the Revolutionary war that claims men were up in a
mountain fighting a battle and they awoke bald eagles in their nest with noise. The
eagles flew out to see what all the noise was and as they soared over the battlefield, they
let out loud shrieks. The patriots took this as a sign that the eagles were “shrieking for
freedom”, and the rest of the patriots living in the colonies saw eagles as a symbol of
their freedom. One of the last reasons the bald eagle was adopted as America’s national
symbol was because they are strong, and live a long time. For a new country, the bald
eagle helped the U.S. establish its strength, power and make a statement that the
country will exist for a long time.
From age to age, civilization to civilization, and country to country, the bald eagle has
been present. This majestic bird is seen as king of the skies, and has powerful
symbolism placed on its wings. Bald eagles are unique creatures that capture our
attention and favor because of the strength, power and beauty that they encompass.
Next time you see a bald eagle soaring high in the sky, think of what they symbolize to
you.
For more information, see: Trish Phillips, “Fly Like the Eagle,” www.purespirit.com/more-animal-symbolism/629-eagle-symbolism; and Suzanne Rose, “Facts
About the bald eagle as an American Symbol,” study.com/academy/lesson/facts-aboutthe-bald-eagle-as-an-american-symbol-lesson-for-kids.html.

The Hemlock 11.2 (Spring 2018), page 22

Environmental Focus Group
Bob Myers (Chair), Jeff Walsh, John Reid, Lynn Bruner, Elizabeth Gruber, Joby Topper,
Michael McSkimming, Heather Bechdel, Dain TePoel, Md. Khalequzzaman, Michael
Myers, Barrie Overton, Todd Nesbitt, Jamie Walker, Stephen Neun, Jared Conti, Colleen
Meyer, Bo Miller, and George Rusczyk. The committee is charged with promoting and
supporting activities, experiences, and structures that encourage students, faculty, and
staff to develop a stronger sense of place for Lock Haven University and central
Pennsylvania. Such a sense of place involves a stewardship of natural resources
(environmentalism), meaningful outdoor experiences, and appreciation for the heritage
of the region.