The bald eagle is the national symbol of the United States, but by 1963 only 417 nesting pairs were known in the lower 48 states. Habitat loss, illegal shooting, and the pesticide DDT had nearly wiped them out. DDT made their eggshells so thin that many broke during incubation or never hatched. Then things changed. The government banned DDT, the Endangered Species Act protected their habitat, and ordinary people pitched in to help. By 2007 there were at least 9,789 nesting pairs, and that summer the bald eagle was taken off the endangered list. Today eagle sightings are common in many places. What looks finished is not finished when God gives a second chance and people choose to act on it.
