Blue Springs Bald Eagle Cam Captivates Fifth Graders

Prairie Branch Elementary students get daily science lessons from eagle nest livestream

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Fifth graders at Prairie Branch Elementary in Grain Valley, Missouri are getting a unique science lesson thanks to a livestream camera focused on a bald eagle nest in nearby Blue Springs. Their teacher, Tammera Lewis, has been using the eagle cam as a teaching tool, allowing students to observe the eagles' behavior and learn about their biology and habitat. The class has even given the eagles their own names - Egg-atha and Shell-don. As the eggs in the nest prepare to hatch in the coming weeks, the students are eagerly watching the livestream and gaining hands-on experience with wildlife conservation.

Why it matters

The bald eagle livestream is the result of a partnership aimed at educating the public about eagles and promoting conservation efforts. For the Prairie Branch students, it provides an engaging, real-world science lesson that brings the curriculum to life. As future Grain Valley Eagles, these students are developing an early appreciation for their local wildlife.

The details

Teacher Tammera Lewis has been showing her fifth grade class the Blue Springs bald eagle cam daily, using it as a backdrop for science lessons on the eagles' biology, behavior, and habitat. The class has even given the eagles in the nest their own names - Egg-atha and Shell-don. As the eggs prepare to hatch in the coming weeks, the students have been closely monitoring the livestream, captivated by watching the eagles catch fish and care for their young.

  • The bald eagle eggs are expected to hatch in mid-March 2026.
  • The Prairie Branch fifth graders have been observing the eagle nest via the livestream on a daily basis.

The players

Tammera Lewis

A fifth grade teacher at Prairie Branch Elementary in Grain Valley, Missouri who has been using the Blue Springs bald eagle cam as a teaching tool in her classroom.

Noah Kelcher

A fifth grade student at Prairie Branch Elementary who has been fascinated by watching the bald eagles on the livestream, particularly seeing them catch and eat fish.

Parker Schieper

A fifth grade student at Prairie Branch Elementary who has been learning about the bald eagles' biology and habitat through the livestream, including that they are vertebrates that mostly live in North America.

Reese Dudley

A fifth grade student at Prairie Branch Elementary who has been impressed by the bald eagles' large wings that help keep them warm in the cold weather.

Liberty and Freedom

The names given to the bald eagles by the City of Blue Springs, where the eagle nest is located.

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What they’re saying

“We actually ended up doing like a mini study on the bald eagle so that they could learn more about what they were seeing and so they were kind of learning like, you know, why they have wings, why they have feathers, how it works when they have eggs in the nest.”

— Tammera Lewis, Prairie Branch Fifth Grade Teacher (KSHB)

“I like saw him like catch a fish and eat it, so it's kind of cool. I didn't know they lived by water.”

— Noah Kelcher, Prairie Branch Fifth Grader (KSHB)

“They're vertebrates and they mostly live in North America.”

— Parker Schieper, Prairie Branch Fifth Grader (KSHB)

“They have really big wings which also keep them really warm so they don't get as like cold as we would.”

— Reese Dudley, Prairie Branch Fifth Grader (KSHB)

“Everybody's just like, oh my gosh, look, there's another egg. Like whenever the second eagle would come, the mom would like move off the eggs and everybody would be like, Oh my gosh, there's multiple eggs. We like everybody looks up and then just looks at it for like 5 minutes and then gets back to work.”

— Reese Dudley, Prairie Branch Fifth Grader (KSHB)

What’s next

The bald eagle eggs are expected to hatch in the next couple of weeks, starting around mid-March 2026. The Prairie Branch students will continue to closely monitor the livestream to watch the eaglets emerge.

The takeaway

This bald eagle livestream has provided a unique, hands-on science learning opportunity for the fifth graders at Prairie Branch Elementary. By observing the eagles' behavior and biology in real-time, the students are developing a deeper appreciation for wildlife conservation efforts in their local community.