New statue highlights Eagle Awareness at Lake Guntersville State Park

Lake Guntersville State Park’s now has a new feature — a picturesque eagle statue located at the park’s lodge — which was unveiled Friday.

The statue, created by artist Jenny Hendrix and inspired by a photo taken by noted Alabama nature photographer Beth Cowen Drake, showcases an American bald eagle with a fish clasped in its talons.

New statue at Lake Guntersville State Park

Officials say they expect the statue to become a favorite guest photography spot, especially during Lake Guntersville State Park’s annual Eagle Awareness weekends.

“This majestic statue showcases the beauty and power of an American bald eagle, a revered symbol of our great nation. The statue has been in place for a short amount of time already, and we have received many positive comments from visitors to the park. It truly is a fantastic addition.”  

Chris Blankenship, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Funded by a grant from the Alabama Tourism Department, the statue is the result of a true team effort – a meticulous two-year project including landscaping, lighting, signage and sidewalks that create opportunities for great vantage points and photos for framing. 

Lake Guntersville’s Eagle Awareness Weekend

The ribbon-cutting for the new statute was incorporated into the agenda for the final Eagle Awareness Weekend at the park in 2024. 

Eagle Awareness Weekends at Lake Guntersville State Park began in 1985 to highlight ADCNR’s bald eagle restoration program. A loss of habitat, pesticide use and poaching throughout the country had pushed eagle populations to the brink of extinction.

From 1985-1991, 91 bald eagles were released throughout the state as a result of the project. Bald eagle sightings are more common throughout the state today thanks in part to these conservation efforts.

Eagle Awareness Weekends continue at the park to showcase this conservation success story.

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