This is the story of one woman who helped in the miraculous restoration of the bald eagle to skies of New England after their near extinction from loss of habitat and the use of DDT. Dianne Davis spent the summer of 1985 alone in the wilderness area of the Quabbin Reservoir raising eight baby eagles. The beauty of the wilderness, the labor (and drama) of heading out each day on this massive lake to catch the twenty pounds or more of fish to feed the hungry babies, the sounds of the forest, the joys and fears of living alone, and the stunning shock of the breakup of her marriage, are all brought to life through her letters home. Read this refreshingly honest and personal account of a lifetime devoted to the care and conservation of wildlife. In her capacity as a naturalist, conservationist, educator, zookeeper, and veterinary technician, the list of animals that Dianne has cared for and worked to conserve is too long to list. Born and raised in Worcester Massachusetts, animals have truly defined Dianne s life from early childhood, to now a proud grandmother. When you add her summer with the eagles to experiences like her twenty year relationship as a falconer with her red tailed hawk Habiba, tagging sea turtles, and caring for polar bears, as well as educating thousands of students about the true wonders of nature, you get a clearer understanding of what being an animal person is all about. Dianne Benson Davis spends her days caring for the bald eagles, red foxes, river otters, owls, snakes, turtles, lizards, ferrets (and a love-struck scarlet macaw named O Hara) that make their home at the EcoTarium, a science and nature museum in Worcester, Massachusetts. In addition to her vet tech responsibilities Dianne also gives weekly educational lectures on the topics of birds of prey and reptiles by introducing live hawks, owls, snakes, lizards and turtles in her presentations to the thousands of children and adults who visit the EcoTarium annually. Born and raised in Worcester, her love of animals and nature led her to volunteer at the Worcester Science Center (now the EcoTarium) as one of their first Junior Naturalists. She was then hired as a zookeeper where she was deeply involved with the care of the first polar bear cubs born at the facility. She left the Science Center to start a family and pursue other interests including wildlife rehabilitation and the sport of falconry where she developed a twenty year relationship with a red-tailed hawk named Habiba. In 1985, Dianne was asked to raise eight bald eagle chicks at Quabbin Reservoir as part of a state Fisheries and Wildlife project to restore the national bird to Massachusetts. Dianne lived in a remote area of the Quabbin, caring for her eagles on a 30 foot nesting tower while living in a tent trailer. She maintained a detailed journal of her summer with the eagles and continued to feed and track the birds well after they were released to begin their life in the wild. After the break-up of her marriage, the independence and confidence she gained working with the eagles helped her find a rewarding job caring for animals and teaching veterinary students at the Tufts Veterinary School Wildlife Clinic. She went back to school while working full-time and graduated magna cum laude with a degree in natural science from Worcester State University, raised her daughter Becky, happily remarried, and had a son, Ben. Dianne's career eventually came full circle and she returned to the EcoTarium in the position she holds today. She also works part time for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, as a natural history guide, leading walks and teaching groups of children and adults about the natural wonders that surround them. color photographs