For some locals in the Squamish area, the first Sunday after New Year’s Day means one thing: the Brackendale Winter Eagle Count.
This beloved community tradition, returning on Jan. 5 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., invites Sea to Sky residents to explore their own backyard while helping track one of the largest bald eagle populations in the region.
Covering 40 miles of local rivers, valleys, and forests, the count is a chance for neighbours to connect over a shared commitment to conservation and celebrate Brackendale’s reputation as the “Eagle Capital of the World.”
A tradition rooted in conservation
“In 1986, a group of people from the Lower Mainland gathered in the parking lot of a Squamish supermarket in the pouring rain to co-ordinate the first province-wide Bald Eagle count in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund,” reads a Squamish Chief article of Dec. 16, 1997.
Their goal was to determine B.C.’s eagle population and identify critical winter habitats.
The late Thor Froslev, owner of the Brackendale Art Gallery, offered his gallery as a warm, dry base for the volunteers—a tradition that continues today.
Birds & Words
The Squamish Environment Society is also doing something a little different this winter.
They’re hosting Birds & Words, a fundraiser that combines art, poetry, and conservation to support their bird monitoring programs in the Squamish Estuary.
This exhibit is a collaboration between local visual artists and poets from the Sea to Sky region, all inspired by birds spotted during the Society’s monthly bird counts.
It’s a collection of 20 original bird paintings and six poems that come together to tell a story about the beauty of nature and why it’s worth protecting. The paintings are up for grabs in an online raffle starting on Dec. 23.
If you’re curious, the exhibit is currently set up at the Squamish Valley Golf Club restaurant, where it will stay until the prize draw on Feb. 14, 2025.
Tickets for the raffle are $10 for one or $100 for a bundle of 100, and the funds raised will go straight into the Society’s efforts to monitor and protect wild birds and their habitats.
To learn more, visit https://www.rafflebox.ca/raffle/ses.
A snapshot of eagle history
Since the count began in 1986, Brackendale has become a vital monitoring site for bald eagles, providing decades of valuable data. Here are some fun and fascinating facts from nearly 40 years of eagle counts from their website:
- Record year: In 1994, the count reached its all-time high, with an incredible 3,769 eagles observed, it speaks to the area’s habitat at the time.
- Juvenile eagles: Juveniles contribute to the numbers each year, peaking during periods of healthy salmon runs that ensure plenty of food.
- Anomalous spike: In 2014, 593 eagles were marked as “unclassified” because a solo counter focused on GPS mapping rather than distinguishing age groups. Despite this, the year offered valuable insights into eagle distribution.
- Declining trends: After the mid-1990s peak, eagle numbers declined, reflecting environmental challenges like diminishing salmon runs. More recently, counts have stabilized, a hopeful sign of ecosystem resilience.
- Salmon dependency: The eagles’ presence is deeply tied to the health of salmon populations. Poor salmon runs, influenced by weather or river conditions, lead the birds to migrate elsewhere in search of food.
Your chance to make a difference
This year, volunteers will cover approximately 20 routes by foot, snowshoe, ski, and raft, spanning areas from the Elaho Valley to the Stawamus River.
Pre-registration is required, and all participants must sign a waiver (those under 19 will need a parent or guardian’s consent).
If this sounds like the perfect way to start your new year, reach out to the Winter Eagle Count Coordinator at [email protected] by Dec. 31 to secure your spot.
Bhagyashree Chatterjee is The Squamish Chief’s Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
