MOOSEHEART, IL (April 8) - When they have looked skyward this spring, Mooseheart's children have occasionally been able to see something very special - a Bald Eagle. A pair of the birds known as the national symbol of the U.S. has returned this year to the nest they built last year near the on-campus lake.

"Our kids have enjoyed having the eagles - I have had children walk up to me and say 'Mr. Hart, did you see the eagles fly over?'" Mooseheart Executive Director Scott Hart said. "For the children and for the staff - myself included - we haven't had the chance to see that before. It's been a special year at Mooseheart for this."

Kane County is becoming home to an increasingly diverse wildlife tapestry. Great Horned Owls nested in Geneva in 2008 while American White Pelicans have stopped at Nelson Lake Marsh in Batavia on their migratory flights in recent years.

Mooseheart's Bald Eagles are not the only ones known to exist in the county either. A pair have been spotted farther south on the Fox River, near Montgomery. Kane County Audubon President Bob Andrini said his organization does an annual bird count at Mooseheart and is looking forward to this May's count and a chance to see the campus' eagles. He said he has received reports of three Bald Eagles spotted along the Fox River this year, including two mature and one immature bird. Mature eagles have the distinctive white head, which appears after roughly five years.

"They're obviously magnificent birds," Andrini said. "They do a lot for creating an awareness of nature. Any time you can create that, especially in the younger population, that's a driving force. People see them and remember that and they claim ownership of them being here because they have seen them."

Andrini said that ownership often manifests itself in further attempts to create conditions favorable to wildlife living in the area, which leads to more species living in the area.

Mike Ward is an avian ecologist at the Illinois Natural History Survey and also a visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois in Urbana, where he teaches Ornithology. He said the conditions that have led to eagles nesting in Kane County have positive repercussions for humans.

"You start seeing these crazy ripple effects," Ward said. "Eagles eat carp and help regulate the fish populations. Sometimes we don't understand the impact when we lose a species and how it impacts on other species. I always tell people that taking a species out is like rivets on a plane's wings. If you take a few out, the plane will still fly. But if you take out enough, then you're going to have problems."

The Bald Eagle came very close to extinction. In the 1950s, there were only 412 nesting pairs in the "Lower 48" of the U.S. A series of federal protections was put in place, none more impacting than when the species was declared an endangered species in 1967 in all areas of the U.S. south of the 40th parallel. That law pre-dated the Endangered Species Act of 1973, which set in motion habitat protection and other measures in an effort to preserve the eagle and a series of other species.

Just as important was the 1972 banning of DDT, a pesticide that was found to have negative health impact on humans. The impact on eagles came in the form of thinner eggshells that were prone to breakage.

"You had all this DDT left in the watersheds and it got into the fish the birds ate," Ward said. "The Clean Water Act (of 1972) and the cleanup of DDT helped as much as anything. I think overall that the Bald Eagle is a really good conservation success story. In fact, it's the best one we have in Illinois."

Ward said Illinois last year removed the Bald Eagle from its list of endangered species, following a move made by the U.S. in 2007. The birds are still covered under legislation such as the Migratory Bird Act, which makes it illegal to shoot any migratory birds.

"They still get protection by being the national symbol and even though they're off the federal and state protection lists, they still get protection," Ward said.

Jacque Nuzzo is the Program Director for the Illinois Raptor Center (IRC) in Decatur. He conducts educational programs throughout Illinois, Iowa and Indiana and the program includes a bald eagle named Ruby who was rehabilitated by the IRC.

"They're big huge beautiful birds," Nuzzo said. "People just love eagles. They love standing next to eagles. They are birds who are very emotional to people. But one of the greatest things about eagles is that they're one of the greatest conservation stories known to man. We almost wiped them out and, if it weren't for us, they wouldn't be here today. It's proof that we can fix mistakes."

Nuzzo said there is also a certain level of respect that should be shown for the birds. He said he never tells where an eagle's next is located because he fears some people won't be able to stop themselves from disturbing the birds.

"Eagles are relatively resilient," he said. "But the (Illinois Department of Natural Resources) would not want you to get out of your car and walk up to an eagle's next. And the Audubon Society would frown on you getting out of your car. There is always the issue that the birds may stay this year, but then decide next year that the intrusions weren't cool and then they just won't go back there."

Hart, who has advised all on the Mooseheart campus to stay in their cars when near the nest and to not leave the access road that runs near the nest, echoes that sentiment. Mooseheart is a private campus where the main focus is the care and protection of the 220 children in its care. He added that there are no plans to allow the general public to enter Mooseheart for the purpose of viewing the eagles and their nest.

"We want to teach our kids at Mooseheart how to respect wildlife," Hart said. "It's called 'wildlife' for a reason. We want the eagles to feel that Mooseheart is their home and that it's a sanctuary for them. We want people to understand to keep a safe distance. It doesn't hurt to watch. But to be too intrusive or to pry into their habitat by trying to be too close could disrupt their mating and could cause them to choose not to be in Kane County."

Mooseheart Child City & School is a 1,000-acre community and school for children and teens in need of a secure home, located just south of Batavia, IL, between Illinois Route 31 and Randall Road.

Founded in 1913, Mooseheart is supported completely through private donations - the great majority of which come from the 1.1 million men and women of the Moose fraternal organization, in more than 1,900 Lodges and 1,600 Chapters located throughout the U.S., Canada, Great Britain and Bermuda. Moose International headquarters is located on the Mooseheart campus.

Since its founding, Mooseheart has operated a complete, accredited kindergarten-through-high-school academic program, plus art, music, vocational training and interscholastic sports. It is an extremely nurturing and student-tailored program, with an average student-teacher ratio of 12-1.

Mooseheart students who complete their studies with a 3.0 GPA or better (4.0=A) are eligible for up to five years of annually renewable scholarship funding, covering tuition, room and board in an amount comparable to that required for an in-state student at an Illinois public university.

Mooseheart is currently home to nearly 250 students, ranging in age from preschoolers to high school seniors. Applications for admission to Mooseheart are considered from any family whose children are, for whatever reason, lacking a stable home environment. Mooseheart boasts its own U.S. Post Office and a fully functioning branch of Fifth Third Bank.

In addition to Mooseheart, Moose International also supports Moosehaven, a 70-acre retirement community near Jacksonville, FL founded in 1922; and conducts more than $90 million worth of community service programs annually.

Founded in 1888, the Moose organization has long offered its members an opportunity to do good for others while celebrating life, with family, social, and sporting activities. For more information on the Moose organization, visit the websites at www.mooseintl.org , www.mooseheart.org, www.moosehaven.org>, or call 630-966-2229.