Probably the biggest influence on my love of getting involved with endangered species is the story of the Bald Eagle.

In the 1970s when I was a kid we never saw these magnificent birds in Indiana. Due to pesticides and hunting they were killed off. But between 1985 and 1988, 73 bald eagles from Alaska and Wisconsin were raised and released at Lake Monroe in Bloomington.

Today, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources reports nests in 88 of the state’s 92 counties.Now I can go out and sometimes even see one flying over my house! What a comeback! So encouraging. We can do this if we really put ourselves to it!

Photo reference is much thanks to Lisa Minica. You can find her on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/naturewalker68/