EagleWatch

Brackendale is renowned for its wintering population of bald eagles, attracted by the spawning runs of chum and coho salmon. In 1994, a record 3,769 eagles were counted during the Brackendale Winter Eagle Count, capturing widespread attention and drawing many visitors to the area. EagleWatch began the following year to help educate visitors about how to respectfully view the eagles, as part of the Nature Conservancy of Canada's Eagles of Brackendale project. Over more than 20 years, our volunteer interpreters celebrated the seasonal congregation of eagles and shared conservation messages with thousands of people, both at the Eagle Run viewing shelter in Brackendale and in schools throughout the region. 

Today, we continue daily eagle counts at Eagle Run Dike to monitor wintering populations, while promoting respectful wildlife viewing and raising awareness of the bald eagle’s role in forest ecosystems through various communication channels.

Monitoring Program

Volunteers are at Eagle Run dike for 30 minutes to one hour each morning and afternoon, every day during prime eagle season, from November 1st until early January. The volunteers’ main responsibility is to count and record the number of eagles and other wildlife sightings, as well as to record weather and any noteworthy events. Volunteers are also encouraged to interact with visitors who are interested in knowing more about the eagles. Data gathered by the volunteers is posted as soon as possible on this website, to inform everyone about the current eagle population visiting Eagle Run.

Eagle Run Eagle Viewing Site

Eagle Run dike is open for visitors year round. There is a viewing shelter with interpretive panels which describe the eagle life cycle and information about the factors influencing the health of the eagle population. The shelter has picnic tables and there are portable toilet facilities provided by the District of Squamish.

For information on guided eagle viewing options, please go to the Tourism Squamish site.