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Volunteers needed: Save eaglets' habitat in Sevier County

Volunteer East Tennessee is looking for 200 volunteers to help clean up the Little Pigeon River after wildlife groups noticed hazards for wild eaglets in the water.

The Little Pigeon River in Sevier County is home to a sizable wild eaglet population, but it's also home to an abundance of tossed fishing supplies.

That's why Volunteer East Tennessee is looking for 200 volunteers to help clean up the river on Friday, June 15 from 10 a.m. to noon.

The Little Pigeon River

The goal of the cleanup is to remove discarded fishing supplies like lines and hooks from the water. These supplies become hazards for wild eaglets when adult eagles pick them up and bring them back to the nest along with their regular diet of fish.

In fact, as recently as late May, three eaglets were removed from their nest after the American Eagle Foundation discovered an abundance of such hazards.

The conservation effort is being organized by Keep Sevier Beautiful and the American Eagle Foundation with the support of Volunteer East Tennessee. It's part of a larger push to preserve and protect areas surrounding eaglet nests.

“Being a part of protecting these nesting areas is essential to the continued efforts to restore Tennessee’s wild eagle population," Volunteer East Tennessee Executive Director Alyson Gallaher said in a written statement. "Conservation volunteering does not just happen at coral reef sites and in rain forests. It happens in our local streams, rivers and natural habitats.”

Anyone five years and older can participate in the event, but volunteers under the age of 13 must be with an adult.

If you're interested in volunteering at this cleanup or other events, register at www.volunteeretn.org or contact Keep Sevier Beautiful at (865) 774-6677.

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