Tracking Golden Eagles at Camp Ripley

Originating from the Camp Ripley training center, thousands of data points were collected over the years, revealing that the eagles winter in the bluffs throughout the southeastern portion of the state from November to March, and travel over 2,500 miles to breeding areas in Canada’s remote Northwest Territories.

The Golden Eagle Project compiled multiple years of data points from these 5 birds into an interactive map that shows the natural range of the eagle population. Data from three remaining active transmitters continue to be posted to this site periodically for new information. You can learn more about the project and explore the interactive map here.

We worked with Camp Ripley and the City of Baxter, Sylvan Township, and Cass and Crow Wing Counties in Minnesota to conserve 1,662 acres of critical wildlife habitat that were at high risk of development and conversion. These conservation achievements were made possible, in part, with funding from the U.S. Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration program. 908 acres of the protected area is a critical portion of the larger Sentinel Landscape, a roughly 805,000-acre boundary around the military facility essential for providing ecological conservation, public recreation opportunities, and educational opportunities.

Along with overwintering golden eagles, Camp Ripley and the surrounding area is home year-round to black bears, timber wolves, white-tailed deer, and state-threatened species such as red-shouldered hawks and Blanding’s turtles. All these animals need adequate forests and clean water to survive, and the Fund is protecting the lands they need most.