Right Around the River Blog
Adopting a New Friend on the James
Post Date: 12-02-2010
As you may recall from an earlier blog post, I had the privilege of attending one of Captain Mike Ostrander's famous "Discover the James" eagle tours. The three-hour journey showed me the James River's dynamic ecosystem in a compelling and engaging way. 
When Captain Mike reminded me that he was hosting a "Lunch Break" presentation at the Science Museum of Virginia, I had to attend. I looked forward to revisiting what I had learned on my tour.
When I arrived at the Museum, I found a room full of curious nature lovers. I had an opportunity to meet some of the attendees, one of whom was Capt. Mike's wife and fellow eagle photographer, Lynda Richardson. Her enthusiasm for the river and its wildlife was as strong as her husband’s.
“The James is the reason we moved to Richmond,” stated Lynda. “The peace and tranquility of this water system provides a spiritual experience for everyone we take out. Getting people to understand this amazing ‘backyard’ resource is crucial.”
Capt. Mike’s presentation focused on the river’s conservation and protection. He shared stories that demonstrated his deep connection with this habitat and how several once-endangered species deserve our attention and respect. At the close of his talk, he mentioned the organization, Virginia Center for Conservation Biology. They are a great source of information for current and future James River conservation efforts. 
I went to the web site and found that The Center for Conservation Biology is currently conducting one of the largest eagle tracking projects in the world.. I was excited to see I could also get involved in the tracking process. All I had to do was adopt one of the tracked bald eagles and my donation would help the organization continue conducting research. I selected a male bald eagle named Androscoggin (pictured below). I received an adoption certificate, information on my new friend and the ability to see his current location each time I requested it.
The process was an extremely easy way to support Capt. Mike’s message - “This part of Richmond and its historic inhabitants are what give the “River City” its name. It is up to us to make it a safe and welcoming place for ALL to live.” * If you are interested in getting involved and would like to adopt a Virginia, satellite-tracked eagle, please click here and share your adoption story with us on our Facebook page.