Cody Austell, a wildlife technician from Alexandria won the Regional Forester’s Special Award recognizing his work with the Kisatchie National Forest Bald Eagle Live Cam.
“Cody’s technical expertise and knowledge helped make this dream of having not one, but four, live cams on our Kincaid Lake eagles a reality,” said Jonny Fryar, District Ranger of the Calcasieu Ranger District. “I was pleased to nominate Cody for this special award because of his hard work and dedication.”
The bald eagle live cam was first installed in 2018 and was not without hiccups. Wiring, equipment challenges, and eagles deserting the nest prevented the cam from being successful until 2021 when viewers were able to see the first egg laid by a pair of eagles fondly named Louis and Anna. Louis and Anna’s first eaglet was named “Kisatchie” through a special naming contest held for the public. In the summer of 2022, Cody outfitted another nest with a live cam giving viewers two nests to follow. Cody once again climbed the 100-foot pine trees during the summer of 2023 to place updated cameras and microphones so viewers have four live cams to choose from when watching the eagles. All work was performed by Cody when the eagles had migrated and were not in residence.
“Because of Cody’s efforts with the live cams, over 2 million viewers from around the world have watched our eagles over the past few years lay eggs, hatch those eggs, and raise fledglings,” commented Lisa Lewis, Forest Supervisor of the Kisatchie National Forest. “People from Japan, Spain, and other countries around the world have heard of the Kisatchie National Forest thanks to Cody’s endeavors. We are very pleased Cody is being recognized with this special award.”
Austell received his award from the Southern Region’s Regional Forester, Ken Arney. “There were so many bright lights of achievement across the Southern Region this year,” said Arney. “It’s an honor to recognize those who worked so hard to help produce outstanding results.”
The 2023 Regional Forester’s Honor Awards Ceremony celebrates groups and individuals who reflect the Forest Service’s agency core values by demonstrating excellence through interdependence, service to others, and commitment to conservation, diversity and safety.
The ceremony was held in Atlanta December 14, 2023. It recognized outstanding work in connection with this year’s theme, “Assess. Transform. Achieve. Showcasing our Best.” You can learn more about these awards here (https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/r8/home/?cid=FSEPRD1155196) and you can view the Kisatchie’s live eagle cams on this YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@KNFcams/streams).