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Come to Swanfall at Mason Neck State Park, December 3

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Photo: Courtesy of Eagle Fest at Mason Neck State Park
Sunday, 03 Dec 2023
2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Gunston Hall’s Ann Mason Room,
10709 Gunston Road,
Lorton VA

Registration is required.


Get a start on the holiday celebrations with the Friends of Mason Neck State Park’s annual Swanfall event at Gunston Hall’s Ann
Mason Room, 10709 Gunston Road. The celebrations start at 2:00 with a great buffet of meats, cheeses, fruit, vegetables, and special desserts. At 2:45 PM the Friends’ own Randy Streufert will present a program on Bald Eagles.

Randy is an award-winning photographer who has presented several programs for the Friends. Bald Eagles nest in Mason Neck State Park and the adjacent Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge — the first wildlife refuge in the United States that was created specifically to protect Bald Eagle nesting areas. You can learn about these iconic birds and enjoy Randy’s stunning photographs.

Swanfall is open to everyone. Members can attend and bring one guest for $15 per person. Non-members can attend for $20 per
person. You can register for Swanfall 2023 here.

 

Bald Eagles: A Conservation Success Story, a March 2 Talk

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Photo (c) Barbara Saffir

Wednesday, March 2, 2022
7 pm
Online
Register here to receive Zoom link.

Bald and Golden Eagles will be the focus of this presentation by Jeff Cooper, a Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR) wildlife biologist. Cooper will explore eagle biology, recent research, the Bald Eagle’s recovery and the importance of the Chesapeake Bay region to Bald Eagles.

For over 30 years, Cooper has worked with many bird species, such as raptors, vultures, passerines and marsh birds. He has done extensive work in Virginia on Bald and Golden Eagles, including the delisting of the Bald Eagle from the federal threatened and endangered species list. He has investigated winter ranging behavior of Golden Eagles and worked to minimize wind energy risks, among many other projects.

The sponsors of this program are the Friends of Dyke Marsh, the Friends of Huntley Meadows Park, the Friends of Mason Neck Park, the Northern Virginia Bird Club and the Audubon Society of Northern Virginia.

Friends of Mason Neck Virtual Eagle Festival, May 8th

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Photo (c) by Barbara J. Saffir

Saturday, May 8, 2021
2 pm
Register here.

The Friends of Mason Neck State Park will host a virtual program featuring Buddy the Bald Eagle in lieu of the Park’s annual Eagle Festival. Buddy has appeared at several previous Eagle Festivals. This year, Lauren Edzenga, the Outreach Educator for the Wildlife Center of Virginia, will join us in a Zoom program during which she will show Buddy live and on-camera while she discusses the lives of Bald Eagles.

The Friends of Mason Neck State Park are presenting this program without charge, thanks to the generosity of our donors and members.