On the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, more than 250 bald eagle nests exist today, compared with one active nest on the refuge in 1972. The bald eagle became one of the nation's great wildlife management success stories after reintroduction efforts, strict laws protecting the birds, and a national education outreach program helped bring it back from the brink of extinction. Concerned citizens and conservation organizations worked with federal and state agencies to save the species, which was removed from the federal endangered species list in 2007 but remains protected under several migratory bird laws.

Photo: Connor Olson