On February 20th and 21st, Schroeder Law Offices attended the Carson Valley “Eagles and Agriculture” weekend. The Carson Valley Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture Extension office hosted the event. It occurs annually when migratory eagles traverse the Carson Valley on their way back to Northern breeding grounds. The weekend is full of tours and workshops with two primary focuses: eagles and agriculture. This year’s event took on new Covid safety measures. Attendees met and caravanned to tour locations in individual vehicles rather than riding in coach buses. Attendees also “masked up” during tours. The event was cancelled and rescheduled multiple times before the date was finally set on February 19th through 21st. However, the organizers and volunteers succeeded in keeping the fun and informative event on the calendar.
Workshops and tours during the 2021 event included a wetland tour, Falconer’s Dinner with live raptors, Eagles and Ranch tour, an “owl prowl,” and a guided hike at the Bentley Heritage Trail. Tour locations ranged from public trails, local parks, and private ranches. Attendees of the owl prowl saw Bald Eagles, Red Tailed Hawks, and a mated pair of Barn Owls at the Danberg Ranch. However, the mated Barn Owls and Great Horned Owls at the Herbig Ranch proved elusive. The Herbig Ranch owners reported the owls were back to their usual and robust activity the day after the tours ceased.
The weekend’s second focus, agriculture in the Carson Valley, was prevalent during all tours. The Danberg Ranch was a destination for multiple tours. The Ranch is a locally run historical park and is one of the state’s first ranches. The Danberg family settled and built the ranch in the early 19th century. The property includes the ranch house, carriage house, slaughterhouse, and laundry outbuilding, among other historic structures.
The Herbig Ranch was also open to tours. This is another historic ranch purchased by the Herbig family when they immigrated to the United States during the World War II era. The family still owns the ranch. While attendees missed sighting the elusive owl pairs on the property, the visit included a guided tour of historic structures and a description of how the ranch is still operated today.
The last event of the weekend was a guided hike on the Bentley Heritage Trail along the Carson River. The hike included lessons in the hydrology and ecology of the river; history of the valley and pony express; and development of Genoa, Nevada, the first settlement in the state.
The well-rounded weekend ended with the annual call for submissions to its photography contest. Many attendees of the weekend are amateur or semi-professional photographers. The winners of the competition as well as the gallery of submitted images can be seen here.
Anyone interested in being on the mailing list for the 2021 Eagles and Agriculture event can find information here.
