Vasile, Monica. “Eagles, Marmots, Humans: Knowing Wildlife Through Fieldwork.” Springs: The Rachel Carson Center Review, no. 8 (November 2025). http://doi.org/10.5282/rcc-springs-18817.
Katya Karabanina climbed steadily, clinging to a long, straight pine trunk, her safety ropes tight around her waist. Near the top, the nest came into view: a mass of sticks balanced far out on a spindly branch. A golden-eagle chick—or baby, as Katya called her—shivered and gaped, wings stretched wide, not yet knowing how to fly.
Katya spoke to her in Russian, her voice low and steady—sounds that are known to be reassuring. But the nest was awkwardly placed, too far from the trunk. To ring the chick—attaching a small, numbered band to its leg—Katya would have to venture along the branch. It looked risky. The chick teetered near the edge, one panic-flap away from a fall. Katya hesitated. (From the article)
This article was originally published in Springs: The Rachel Carson Center Review. Springs is an online publication featuring peer-reviewed articles, creative nonfiction, and artistic contributions that showcase the work of the Rachel Carson Center and its community across the world.
2025 Monica Vasile
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