United States
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Alone in a vast wildlife refuge with little direction and no experience, an American ornithology student found herself responsible for a project of historical importance – to bring the mighty Bald Eagle back from the brink of extinction.
Tina Morris was one of the first women to spearhead a raptor reintroduction program, and in Return to the Sky, she shares her remarkable story that is as much about the human spirit as it is about birds of prey.
In the spring of 1975, on the eve of America's Bicentennial, Tina was selected to reintroduce Bald Eagles into New York State in the hope that the species could eventually repopulate eastern North America. Young and female in a male-dominated field, Tina was handed an assignment to rehabilitate a population that had been devastated by the effects of DDT. The challenges were prodigious, and with no model to refer to, she spent two years playing 'mother' to seven eaglets at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in New York. Driven by her passion, she discovered unknown reserves of patience, determination and grit, and her own path to self-discovery and confidence-building was inextricably linked to the survival of the species she was chosen to protect.
At a time when the mass extinction of bird species is a critical global topic, Return to the Sky reminds us how, with a mix of common sense, resilience and resolve, humans can be effective stewards of the natural world.
Raised in a large family and surrounded by myriad orphaned creatures both domestic and wild, Tina Morris was imbued with a lifelong love of animals. After a few wrong turns and a stormy relationship with science in college, she found a way to make her life's ambition – rescuing endangered birds of prey – into a reality. Tina earned her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College and her graduate degree in ornithology and wildlife biology from Cornell University, where she helped develop the first techniques for releasing introduced Bald Eagles. Her field research ultimately became the instruction manual for eagle restoration programs in other eastern states. Tina was formally inducted as an honorary Iroquois into the Confederacy of Six Nations for her work returning the Bald Eagle to the nation's skies.
"Three cheers for this splendid, surprising, inspiring book! First, for its eloquent author, who as an anxious and inexperienced young woman took on a tough project too important to fail. Second, for the eaglets who, thanks to her innovative care, grew up to reclaim American skies. And lastly, a cheer for you, dear reader – for when you close these covers, you'll know you, too, may help repair our beautiful, broken world."
– Sy Montgomery, naturalist; author of The Soul of an Octopus
"Return to the Sky is a vivid reminder of how the actions of a single person can have the best kind of ripple effects. In this case, that person is Tina Morris, who figured out how to reintroduce Bald Eagles in the Northeast during the 1970s. If you look up and see an eagle almost anywhere in the United States, chances are you should thank this visionary woman."
– Scott Weidensaul, author of A World on the Wing
"Tina Morris's trailblazing memoir lifts us to new heights, like one of the Bald Eagles she raised taking a first flight into the wilds. Her full-circle story highlights a lifetime of making this world a better place, from nurturing animals and children to rewilding a home place."
– Marina Richie, author of 2024 John Burroughs Medal–winner Halcyon Journey
"Return to the Sky by Tina Morris vividly chronicles her journey of determination, ingenuity, and hope that directly contributed to the Bald Eagle's comeback. This book highlights how a single person's unwavering passion and dedication can drive remarkable recovery and restoration for an entire species."
– from the foreword by Dr. Elizabeth Gray, CEO, National Audubon Society
"In Return to the Sky, Tina Morris eloquently recounts how embracing passion and overcoming fear empowered her to undertake an adventure in helping to save the endangered Bald Eagle. It reminds us that every challenge begins with a dive into the unknown, born of conviction and the courage to transcend seemingly insurmountable odds. Along the way, Morris's journey becomes intertwined with the fate of the Bald Eagle at a time when the future of this iconic species teetered on the brink."
– Michael J. Caduto, author of Pond and Brook and Through a Naturalist's Eyes; coauthor of the New York Times best-selling Keepers of the Earth series
"Emotional and inspiring proof that one person can make a difference."
– Kirkus Reviews
"Here is the true, compelling story of how one woman with enormous self-determination followed her dream to bring Bald Eagles back to their lost habitats. Tina Morris is one determined, caring biologist who found herself in the right place at the right time to bring eagles back to our skies. She is an inspiration to follow your dreams."
– Stephen W. Kress, coauthor of Project Puffin
"In Return to the Sky, Tina Morris shares the personal, inside story of what it was like to raise the first Bald Eagle chicks that jumpstarted the recovery of this endangered bird species. Over two summers, Tina served as a surrogate eagle mom, developing methods that would later be used by biologists in ten states and the District of Columbia to raise over a thousand more Bald Eagle chicks for release into the wild. Along the way, she discovered her own self-confidence and direction in life."
– Tom French, PhD, former director of the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program
"Inspiring [...] the writing is clear and eloquent [...] Morris expertly blends moving memoir and scientific research in this remarkable and affecting story of the power of one person to make a difference."
– Booklist
