History of Eagles Day in Lawrence

The first Eagles Day was held on Saturday, January 11, 1997 at the Lawrence Riverfront Factory Outlets Mall and was organized by the Kaw Valley Heritage Alliance (KVHA) in cooperation with Jayhawk Audubon Society (JAS). Similarly a second event was organized in cooperation primarily with the Northern Flint Hills Audubon Society to be held at Manhattan’s Town Center on February 1, 1997. Field trips to see eagles in the wild were led by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff members at Perry, Clinton and Tuttle Creek lakes.

KVHA had received a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to hire a coordinator to work with local groups to plan the two events, which featured live bald and golden eagles, a multimedia presentation, “Eagles on the Wind,” a Native American dancer, and a panel discussion titled “Keeping Eagles Healthy,” which addressed the water quality of the Kansas River.

By 1998 Jayhawk Audubon Society had taken on the entire role of planning and publicizing the second Eagles Day, with some financial assistance provided through the EPA grant to KVHA. The program presentations were very similar to the first year, although JAS was able to arrange for two very talented Pottawatomie youths to demonstrate their dancing skills. One of the drummers who accompanied the dancers explained the importance of eagles to Native Americans by saying: “It flies the highest. It gets closest to God.”

The Lawrence Eagles Day continued to be held at the Riverfront Mall until the mall was closed in 2000, after which the event was scheduled on Sundays and moved to Building 21 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds. Though funding from EPA ended about the same time, JAS was able to utilize the intra-district mail system for Lawrence Public Schools to help publicize the event to elementary students. This year Eagles Day has a new home, thanks to the generosity of the Lawrence Public Schools: Free State High School at 4700 Overland Drive.

Over the years Jayhawk Audubon Society planners have also received significant financial and in-kind contributions from the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks’ Chickadee Checkoff program, Western Resources (now known as Westar Energy), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, City of Lawrence Recycling Department, and Astaris (now known as ICL Performance Products) .

In subsequent years, the format of the Eagles Day events has remained consistent, with a heavy emphasis on presenters who educate their audiences while generously sprinkling their programs with entertainment and humor. In addition to the formal presentations, exhibits by nearly 30 community, nonprofit groups and city, state and federal agencies provide continuous opportunities for public education with their informative displays, live animals, and activities for children.

Because of the generosity of JAS’s underwriters, the event continues to be free to the public – and popular, with attendance running nearly 1,000 each year.

JAS welcomes your attendance at its 12th Annual Eagles Day on January 27, 2008.

First Jayhawk Audubon Society Board, 1971-72

President: Vice-President: Treasurer: Recording Secretary: Corresponding Secretary:

Al Bjelland Ruth D. Fauhl Ruth Ann Paddock Cynthia (Clinton) Shaw Helen Crockett