American Eagle Foundation (AEF) is a 501(c)(3)

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organization that supports the protection of the

bald eagle The bald eagle (''Haliaeetus leucocephalus'') is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (''Haliaeetus albicilla''), which occupies the same niche as ...

and other birds of prey.

History

Between 1961 and 1983, there were no successful bald eagle nests in the state of Tennessee, and the bald eagle was still listed as an endangered species by the federal government. Originally called the National Foundation to Protect America's Eagles, AEF was founded in 1985 to help conserve the

in Tennessee. In 1990, AEF entered into a multi-year corporate partnership with the Dollywood Company and cooperated with them to develop Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Eagle Mountain Sanctuary is the largest gathering of non-releasable bald eagles in the world. American Eagle Foundation also hosts the Wings of America flighted bird show for

Dollywood Dollywood is a theme park jointly owned by entertainer Dolly Parton and Herschend Family Entertainment. It is located in the Knoxville metropolitan area in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near the gateway to The Great Smoky Mountains. Hosting nearly 3 ...

in the Craftsman's Valley area of the Theme Park. In 2019, AEF partnered with

Yuengling D. G. Yuengling & Son, established in 1829, is the oldest operating brewery, brewing company in the United States. In 2018, by volume of sales, it was the largest Craft brewery and microbrewery, craft brewery, sixth largest overall brewery and l ...

. This partnership included limited-edition AEF Traditional Lager cans, a Bald Eagle nest cam sponsorship, and the release of a rehabilitated eaglet. This partnership with Yuengling has continued in 2022. In 2021, American Eagle Foundation broke ground on new headquarters in Kodak, Tennessee near the gateway to the

Great Smoky Mountains The Great Smoky Mountains (, ''Equa Dutsusdu Dodalv'') are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee–North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge ...

. The new facility, code-named "Project Eagle," is 57 acres (23.07 ha). It will be equipped with an educational campus, several aviaries for resident raptors, an administrative building, and an avian research and rehabilitation center.

Conservation Efforts

AEF hosts cleanup events at waterways that may serve as bald eagle habitats. AEF has been known to partner with Keep Sevier Beautiful and Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful (state affiliate for

Keep America Beautiful Keep America Beautiful is a nonprofit organization founded in 1953. It is the largest community improvement organization in the United States, with more than 700 state and community-based affiliate organizations and more than 1,000 partner organiz ...

) for such events. American Eagle Foundation's bald eagle grant program, founded in 2012, awards approximately $100,000 in funding annually for bald eagle research. Grant applications are reviewed independently of AEF by a Bald Eagle Grant Advisory Team. AEF has also partnered with

Theme Park and Keep the Tennessee River Beautiful to recycle guests' disposed cigarette butts and minimize such waste's impact on the Tennessee Watershed.

Non-Releasable Raptor Residents

American Eagle Foundation cares for approximately 70 non-releasable raptors with various disabilities.

Challenger (eagle) Challenger is a non-releasable bald eagle in the care of the non-profit American Eagle Foundation. He is the first bald eagle in history trained to free fly over stadium events, including the World Series and United States presidential inauguratio ...

, a well-known bald eagle under AEF's care, performed free flights during the "

Star Spangled Banner "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bo ...

". Challenger has retired from free-flighted stadium events but continues to travel for other educational programs.

Rehabilitation and Captive Breeding

American Eagle Foundation's bald eagle propagation program has resulted in the release of over 180 bald eaglets and 11 golden eaglets from a

Hack (falconry) Hacking is a training method that helps young birds of prey reach their hunting potential by giving them exercise and experience. This technique is used to prepare the falcon to become an independent hunter. The sequence of the procedure includes ...

tower on Douglas Lake. The hack tower is also used to support orphaned juvenile raptors. With the bald eagle successfully recovered, AEF has kept their original bald eagle pairs together, but no new pairs will be formed. AEF is now home to a barn owl breeding pair to support declining barn owl populations in Tennessee."Barn Owl"
tn.gov. Retrieved September 8, 2022.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:American Eagle Foundation Bird conservation organizations Dollywood Eagles Conservation and environmental foundations in the United States Environmental organizations based in Tennessee Organizations established in 1985 Wildlife rehabilitation and conservation centers 1985 establishments in the United States