The Grafton Land Trust will hold its annual dinner meeting on Friday, Nov. 3 at High Fields Country Club, 42 Magill Drive, Grafton. 

Featured speakers will be Grafton residents Dianne and Bill Davis who will discuss the reintroduction of the bald eagle to Massachusetts. They will be joined by Margaret Haynes and Scott Lamont who will share their photos of the Fisherville Eagles.

Dianne and Bill have been Grafton residents since 1991 when they were married in the North Grafton United Methodist Church. They brought up their daughter and son in town.

Professionally, Dianne worked at the Worcester Science Center before joining the staff of the Tufts Veterinary School’s Wildlife Clinic, working under Dr. Charles Sedgwick.

After taking a break to be a stay-at-home mom, she returned to the Science Center, by then renamed as the Ecotarium, as their Wildlife Veterinary Technician. Dianne worked with the venue’s polar bear, eagles, owls, fox, otters and other exhibit animals. In 1985, she spent the summer at Quabbin Reservoir where she raised and released eight bald eagle chicks to the wild for the state Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. 

Bill spent his entire 37 year career at the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. He worked on the Eagle Project since its inception in 1982, assisting Project Leader Jack Swedberg. He raised and released 22 bald eagles at Quabbin between 1986 amd 1988 amd took over the project when Jack retired, heading it for the next 11 years. He coordinated the banding of the first 100 bald eagle chicks produced in wild nests. 

Dianne and Bill spent seven years touring with a non-releasable bald eagle acquired from the state of Alaska and kept at the Tufts Veterinary School while Dianne worked there. They spoke to thousands of students and adults on the importance of eagle endangered species and habitat conservation.

The Davises retired in 2018 with Dianne now volunteering with the Greater Worcester Land Trust and Bill serving on the Board of Directors of the MA/RI   Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation and the Worcester County League of Sportsmen’s Clubs.  

Enjoy an update from Troy Gipps on the Kestrel Project and the radio equipped kestrels.

Appetizers will be served along with a cash bar at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the program at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $65 each and may be purchased online at graftonland.org. Raffle tickets for an inflatable kayak are available for $5 each or six for $25.  Buy a dinner ticket plus 10 raffle tickets for $100. For more information, contact [email protected]. Gluten free meals are available.