Experiencing California’s wildlife through the eyes of a first-time visitor

By Rebecca K. O’Connor | Contributing Columnist

Experiencing California’s iconic wildlife through the eyes of a first-time visitor is a reminder of all we must appreciate and preserve.

During presentations and educational programs provided by Rivers & Lands Conservancy, we often tell the community that California is a hotspot of biodiversity. The state is home to more species of plants and animals than any other state in the nation. While I find myself sharing this fact often, I do not fully embrace the abundance and diversity of my home. It is too easy to become accustomed to the view.

I spent the first half of my career as a wildlife trainer and environmental educator. It has been many years since I’ve trained animals for a profession. There is a new generation of environmental educators doing the work now, sharing their messaging and joy for wildlife species through social media. So, when I was asked if I would speak to French YouTube influencer Yvan Kereun about bald eagles in his first documentary, I was skeptical of my ability to add value to the narrative. I also must confess, they are not my favorite raptor.

While working on my undergraduate degree at UC Davis, I volunteered at the raptor center. A bald eagle I was holding for the veterinarians bit me on the chin and remains the only bird to have ever bitten me in the face. The few bald eagles I’ve worked with were cantankerous. I have also never enjoyed caring for birds that I had to feed fish. You end up with hands that smell just as bad as the bird does. I try to keep this opinion to myself. You don’t make many friends by disparaging bald eagles.

Bald eagles are indeed iconic and have a lot of fans, especially in Southern California where thousands of people avidly follow the Big Bear eagle nest cam every year or seek them out in person at Lake Hemet, Lake Mathews, Lake Perris and the San Jacinto Wildlife Area. We are lucky to be able to seek them out.

Anecdotally, it was said there were as many as 100,000 nesting bald eagles when the species was made a national symbol in 1782. Faced with the decline of their prey, loss of nesting sites, and being shot for their perceived threat to livestock, the pesticide DDT was almost the final nail in their coffin. By 1964 there were only 417 known nesting pairs left. It was only the coordinated and monumental efforts of enacting the Bald Eagle Protection Act in 1940, banning DDT, and the listing of bald eagles south of the 40th parallel under the Endangered Species Act that brought them back from the brink. Thanks to captive breeding programs and protections, today there are more than 71,000 breeding pairs in the lower 48 states.

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to share this story with Kereun and his French audience. The bald eagle is a story of hope, perseverance, and what is possible when we work together toward a common goal. They may not be my favorite raptor to work with, but if it wasn’t for the stalwart efforts of my predecessors, I would have never been able to work with them at all.

“Wild Immersion: Yvan in the American West” as the project is currently titled, explores some of the iconic species of the region and the ways they are interconnected with their environments. The documentary, co-produced by Rétroviseur Productions, ELES Production and JLA Productions, is being pitched as both a scientific and emotional adventure that hinges on the importance of understanding and preserving California’s unique biodiversity.

Kereun and I met at Lake Hemet on Dec. 6 to search for the resident pair of bald eagles. Walking the shores of the picturesque mountain lake, I took in the scenery and wildlife through Kereun’s eyes and clearly saw the breadth and rarity of California’s biodiversity and my good fortune to be working to protect it. We shared our enthusiasm for the connection of all living things and our desire to inspire a new generation of conservationists. Yet, it was me who left inspired.

What we have taken for granted, we see anew through the eyes of our children, grandchildren or visiting family and friends. I’m seeing bald eagles differently now and my New Year’s resolution is to continue refreshing my view knowing what we have done before we can do again. Whether it is renewing the future of least Bell’s vireos, California gnatcatchers, burrowing owls or Delhi Sands flower-loving flies. Great conservation success is possible, and our national symbol is the proof.

Rivers & Lands Conservancy connects our community to natural, wild, and open spaces of Southern California through land conservation, stewardship, and education.

Rebecca K. O’Connor is the co-executive director of Rivers & Lands Conservancy, a 2023 California Arts Council fellow, the author of several books on the natural world and writes about nature on her Substack at writtenbird.com.