Just as the bald eagle faced extinction in 1976, Tina Morris was beginning her graduate work at Cornell University. By luck and circumstance, she was selected to reintroduce the species into New York State in the hope that eagles could repopulate eastern North America.
On April 9, she talks about her conservation work and book Return to the Sky: The Surprising Story of How One Woman and Seven Eaglets Helped Restore the Bald Eagle at J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island.
Part of the 2026 “Ding” Darling free winter lecture series, Morris’ April 9 appearances take place at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. at The Roost outside the refuge Visitor & Education Center.
Young and with no field experience, Morris faced the challenges of saving the iconic bird while striving for acceptance in the unfamiliar, male-dominated world of raptor biology. Playing mother to seven eagles forced her to transcend the isolation and tedium of field research to rescue an endangered species while in turn rescuing herself.
After completing her graduate work in ornithology and wildlife biology at Cornell in 1978 and working many years for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Nature Conservancyv– focusing on endangered species and critical habitat conservation — Morris spent 23 years teaching English and biology. Since her retirement in 2020, she has devoted her time to writing, especially creative non-fiction with a science or nature focus.
“Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge co-hosts the eight-part lecture series with the refuge and through financial support from sponsors. While the refuge auditorium is undergoing renovations, lectures take place in The Roost outdoor pavilion. Seating is limited on a first-come basis. Guests are welcome to bring their own lawn chairs to ensure a seat. Most of the open-air seating is under cover, however DDWS suggests sunscreen, bug spray, and weather-appropriate attire.