A local educational center is turning tragedy into a learning experience.

Susan Gallagher, chief naturalist at the Carbon County Environmental Education Center in Summit Hill, recently treated a bald eagle that was very ill when it was brought to the center.It was later confirmed that the eagle had lead poisoning with traces in its blood stream and pieces visible in its gizzard in an X-ray.The bird died from the poisoning a few days after being brought in for care.The NPR affiliate in State College, WPSU, heard about the story and reached out to Gallagher."They called a day or so after it hit the local paper and television stations." Gallagher said. "Eleanor Klibanoff, the woman who reported the story, called and asked for an interview about the eagle. The bird had just died, and I thought this was a fantastic opportunity to share its story."The story and interview ran nationally on NPR's "Morning Edition" this past Monday.The center suspects two other eagles brought in within the last year or so, may have suffered from the same thing, but those birds died before they could confirm it with a blood test.Gallagher said the signs of lead poisoning are distinctive."One died almost as soon as it came through the door." Gallagher said. "We just heard about another eagle admitted to a rehabilitation center in Bucks County this week. Same thing. Bird had multiple lead pellets in its GI tract. It died shortly after it came in."While in these cases nobody can say for sure how the lead got into the birds' systems, many birds feed on the carcasses found during and after hunting seasons. As the carcasses are being eaten, birds can unknowingly ingest the ammunition that the animal was shot with. Another common source is lead sinkers used in fishing.The center works regularly with the Pennsylvania Game Commission."They've been a great help even though I think the guys in the field are pretty busy most days," Gallagher said. "Last summer. they helped us get a bald eagle back to its territory in Mountaintop for release. So there are success stories, too.""All birds of prey are susceptible to lead poisoning along with eagles," said Pennsylvania Game Commission Wildlife Conservation Officer Cory Bentzoni, "The law only states that it is illegal to hunt water fowl with lead shot, which is a federal law that the agency follows."As to why so many eagles seem to be suffering from lead poisoning, Gallagher doesn't have a definitive answer."The game commission tells us there were only three nesting pairs of bald eagles in the state back in 1980. Today, there are over 300, so there are definitely more eagles. I would think that more eagles means there would also be more sick eagles," Gallagher said."Different birds also process poisons differently, just like they process food differently. The research seems to indicate that bald eagles are more susceptible to the effects of lead than some other birds, such as vultures."Gallagher, and the rest of the staff at the center, hope to be able to use these deaths as a learning experience."We want everyone to think about the consequences of their actions. We don't want to tell anybody what to do or think," Gallagher said. "We have live eagles here, that are amazing tools for education. People see them and start asking questions.""It opens up a conversation about so many things. Live eagles are like the lightning rod that gets peoples' attention, starts them thinking about populations and habitat, about food chains, poisoning, endangered species regulations, you name it."The feedback from the news articles and radio appearance have already started coming in and Gallagher said that almost all of it is very respectful and informative."I tell people we're all here to learn, and we want to hear from them. Gallager said. "We also got a call from some students at S.S. Palmer Elementary who want to help. They've been watching the Hanover Eagle Cam and are so excited about eagles. It's encouraging when kids want to get involved and make a difference. They'll grow up to make informed decisions."