The Raptor Resource Project has established a new bird cam on an island in the heart of the Mississippi River’s Driftless area. Located in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge on Lake Onalaska, the 4K HD cam will offer an unparalleled look at migrating birds and river wildlife, including Bald Eagles, American White Pelicans, Sandhill Cranes, Caspian Terns, Cormorants, and many species of ducks, gulls, and other waterfowl. The camera project was completed with help from the Brice Prairie Conservation Association, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, Riverland Energy Co-Op, and explore.org. Volunteers helped ferry people and supplies to and from the island, erect two utility poles, and install solar panels, a power supply, and the camera assembly and radios. From start to finish, the project took a total of eight long days.
Volunteers from the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, the Raptor Resource Project, and explore.org will operate the camera, which can be watched on the Raptor Resource Project’s website at raptorresource.org/birdcams/
About the Raptor Resource Project: Founded in 1989, the non-profit Raptor Resource Project specializes in the preservation of falcons, eagles, ospreys, hawks, and owls. We create, improve, and directly maintain over 50 nests and nest sites, provide training in nest site creation and management, and develop innovations in nest site management and viewing that bring people closer to the natural world. Our mission is to preserve and strengthen raptor populations, expand participation in raptor preservation, and help foster the next generation of preservationists. For more information, please visit www.raptorresource.org or contact Project director John Howe at john@raptorresource.org.
About the Brice Prairie Conservation Association: The Brice Prairie Conservation Association (BPCA) was founded in 1958 to support conservation projects in the lower Black River area of southwestern Wisconsin. The BPCA has been recognized with local, state, and national awards for its conservation and community-related activities. Specific goals of the BPCA are to restore the natural beauty of the Black River and the surrounding territory; promote the general health and welfare of the community by supporting sound management practices for the Black River, Lake Onalaska, and the Mississippi River; and disseminate knowledge and promote scientific inquiries. For more information, visit http://www.
About the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge: The Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge was established in 1924 as a refuge for fish, wildlife and plants and a breeding place for migratory birds. Bordered by steep wooded bluffs that rise 100 to 600 feet above the river valley, the Mississippi River corridor and refuge offer scenic beauty and productive fish and wildlife habitat unmatched in the heart of America. The refuge covers just over 240,000 acres and extends 261 river miles from north to south at the confluence of the Chippewa River in Wisconsin to near Rock Island, Illinois. It is designated as a Wetland of International Importance (Ramsar) and a Globally Important Bird Area. For more information, visit https://www.fws.gov/refuge/
About Riverland Energy Coop: Riverland Energy Cooperative is a nonprofit, member-owned and controlled cooperative that provides electric energy needs of nearly 15,000 members in Buffalo, Trempealeau, La Crosse Counties, and parts of Pepin and Jackson Counties. We are your local Touchstone Energy Cooperative, and promise to serve with integrity, accountability, innovation and commitment to community. For more information, visit https://www.riverlandenergy.
About explore.org: explore.org is a 100 percent philanthropic media organization; their mission is to connect viewers to the natural world, inspire life-long learning and champion the selfless acts of others. They celebrate those that devote their lives to extraordinary causes, telling their stories through world-class documentary films and stunning photography libraries.
explore.org also proudly partners with notable non-profits to present Pearls of the Planet, or the “Netflix of nature”, an unparalleled library of live nature and animal cams with views from around the globe. The mission of Pearls of the Planet is to allow people to experience nature up close and personal with the hope that they will fall in love with our beautiful world. The cams give explore’s partners access to events previously unseen in nature, complete with data created from snapshots taken by the viewers, the “community scientists”. The footage documents the important work these selfless organizations do to preserve and protect people, culture, animals and landscapes. In addition to reporting and broadcasting these critical efforts, explore.org has awarded more than $90 million dollars to over 600 nonprofit organizations worldwide. explore is humbled by their community of fans, including over 18 million followers on their Facebook page and their Dog Bless You site, which champions dogs, our guardian angels of the human spirit. For more information, visit https://explore.org.