{"id":43775,"date":"2025-01-07T11:39:59","date_gmt":"2025-01-07T16:39:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=43775"},"modified":"2025-01-07T12:31:55","modified_gmt":"2025-01-07T17:31:55","slug":"from-the-yellow-farm-house-to-the-white-house-a-journey-of-conservation-and-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2025\/01\/07\/from-the-yellow-farm-house-to-the-white-house-a-journey-of-conservation-and-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"From the Yellow Farm House to the White House: A Journey of Conservation and Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Ranger Sarah Milbourne<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

\"Photo

Ranger Sarah Milbourne and “Mo,” one of Maryland’s bald eagles from the Scales & Tales program, visit the White House in 2023. Photo by Ranger Jessica Conley.<\/p><\/div>\n

I can vividly remember the first time I saw a bald eagle in the wild.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I was about nine or ten, helping my grandfather clear weeds around his <\/span>bright-yellow farm house in I<\/span>ngleside, on Maryland\u2019s Eastern Shore. A World War II veteran, tall and lanky, my grandfather never spoke of his time in the Ardennes, but he loved to talk about nature. We bonded over the changing seasons, the animals that roamed his farm, and his decidedly mixed feelings about bald eagles. The white-headed raptor would sometimes disturb the peaceful ducks bobbing on his pond. He shook his head in frustration.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I, however, shook my head in wonder. This was one of just three eagles I would see in the first 23 years of my life.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fast forward to December 2023: I found myself atop the aviary at Rocky Gap State Park, clearing debris with a rake when my phone buzzed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHi, this is Emily from the White House. Do you have a bald eagle?\u201d the voice on the line asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

The request was for an <\/span>event<\/span><\/a> celebrating the <\/span>50th anniversary of the Endangered Species Act<\/span><\/a>. Our team brought two eagles from the Scales & Tales program\u2013Buchanan and Michelle Obama (affectionately called \u201cMo\u201d)–to the nation\u2019s capital.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As Parks Director Angela Crenshaw, Ranger Jessica Conley, and I navigated the West Wing with our eagles in tow, we marveled at the unexpected turns our work had taken us. Wheeling the eagles through narrow hallways, balancing large kennels past priceless artifacts, marveling at the beauty and intricacies of the Christmas decorations, the Situation Room, and even encountering Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff made for an unforgettable experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But the most profound moment came when we met President Biden<\/a>. He shared a deeply personal story about eagles: On the day his son Beau passed away, he returned to his Wilmington home from Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda. He made his way out to the property\u2019s pond. He watched a single eagle make one solemn circle above the pond before flying away, never to return.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Return to the West Wing<\/b><\/h3>\n

Two weeks later, the President invited us back. According to his team, he hadn\u2019t stopped talking about our conversation and wanted to continue it\u2014this time with eagle Michelle Obama, or \u201cMo,\u201d in tow.<\/span><\/p>\n

We<\/span> chatted about his unwavering commitment to conservation<\/span><\/a>, his gratitude for our work, and his belief in the importance of protecting natural resources for future generations. He invited us back into the Oval Office, where he shared stories about President Barack Obama\u2019s inauguration, his work on equality, the meaningful decor of the Oval Office, his desire to protect the planet from threats like climate change<\/span>,<\/span> and a few heartwarming family stories sprinkled in between. To commemorate the visit, we gifted him mugs adorned with an eagle and the phrase \u201cBirdin\u2019 with Biden.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In March 2024 we were invited to the iconic Easter Egg Roll, and our families were able to join us. Seeing the joy on their faces and the awe in their eyes was unforgettable. We thought this might be our last time visiting the White House.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Photo

Ranger Sarah Milbourne, Maryland Park Service Director Angela Crenshaw, and Ranger Jessica Conley visit President Joe Biden in the Oval Office. Photo courtesy the White House.<\/p><\/div>\n

In December 2024, Ranger Conley, Ranger Crenshaw and I were unexpectedly invited back for a very special occasion\u2014a \u201cDay at the White House.\u201d The event was designed to honor individuals whose lived experiences and work had shaped the Administration\u2019s initiatives. Among the honorees were veterans\u2019 advocates, first responders, community leaders, and, to my surprise, our small but mighty team from the Maryland Park Service.<\/span><\/p>\n

The day began in the Indian Treaty Room in the Eisenhauer Building, where we learned inspiring stories from the other attendees. From a brewing company that supported hurricane relief efforts in Asheville, North Carolina<\/span>,<\/span> to advocates fighting for veterans\u2019 health care, each story emphasized resilience and service. It was humbling to be among such company, representing the conservation efforts that have long been at the heart of our careers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A door opened, and President Biden filled the doorway. His eyes immediately fell on our team, dressed in uniform, and a cagey smile lit his face.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s my eagle!?\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This time, Mo stayed home, but the President\u2019s warm welcome as he came straight to us first made it clear we were part of something larger.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The President posed with us at the Resolute Desk and spoke passionately about conservation, reflecting on his administration\u2019s goal to preserve more land by 2030 than any other in history. Looking directly at our team and then out to the rest of the attendees, he said, \u201cAnd these are the folks who will steward those resources.\u201d A round of applause erupted, and we stood amazed at his meaningful recognition.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The group concluded our time at the White House and with the President in the Cabinet Room, where he reflected on the future and expressed his commitment to continuing his work for the American people.<\/span><\/p>\n

Carrying the Torch\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

\"Photo

The farm house belonging Ranger Sarah Milbourne’s grandfather, where she first remembers encounter bald eagles on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Photo courtesy Sarah Milbourne, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.<\/p><\/div>\n

As I stood in the Oval Office that day, I couldn\u2019t help but think back to my grandfather\u2019s pond.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the same way my grandfather connected with nature in the quiet of his farm, President Biden\u2019s deeply personal story of an eagle circling above his home is a reminder that these connections guide us to action. My grandfather taught me to value the land and its creatures, while the President\u2019s policies protect them for generations to come. These threads\u2014the personal and the policy\u2014are woven into a shared legacy of stewardship.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every time I see an eagle now, I think of my grandfather and the legacy he left me: a love for nature, a commitment to stewardship, and the hope that future generations will shake their heads in wonder, just as I did. And in moments like standing at the Resolute Desk not just once but three times in less than a year, I feel the weight of our work and its importance\u2014for our past, our present, and our future.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Ranger Sarah Milbourne is the Western Regional Manager for the Maryland Park Service.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Ranger Sarah Milbourne I can vividly remember the first time I saw a bald eagle in the wild.\u00a0 I was about nine or ten, helping my grandfather clear weeds around his bright-yellow farm house in Ingleside, on Maryland\u2019s Eastern Shore. A World War II veteran, tall and lanky, my grandfather never spoke of his  Read the Rest…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[957,12,13],"tags":[5418,4981,3506],"class_list":["post-43775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-appnews","category-parks","category-wildlife","tag-bald-eagles","tag-maryland-state-parks","tag-scales-and-tales"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/146"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43775"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43784,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43775\/revisions\/43784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}