By Jenny Zeller
Nationally renowned wildlife conservation photographer and Bernheim’s 2022 Environmental Artist in Residence, Carla Rhodes returned this past March to continue her documentation of all things wild at Bernheim, this time with a focused lens on one of our most elusive and awe-inspiring inhabitants—the golden eagle.
What unfolded during her time here was nothing short of extraordinary!
For years, Bernheim’s golden eagle research has helped illuminate the hidden lives of these powerful birds. Through satellite tracking and long-term observation, scientists have discovered that eastern golden eagles travel thousands of miles each year, moving between wintering grounds in the United States and breeding territories in northern Canada. Despite their vast range, sightings remain rare, making each encounter deeply meaningful. Notably, Carla’s images capture both immature and adult golden eagles, part of a late-winter assemblage migrating from northern breeding grounds in Canada. The presence of multiple age classes is an encouraging sign of a healthy, sustaining population and underscores the importance of large, intact forests like Bernheim.
Working in close alignment with ongoing research efforts and Bernheim’s Natural Area team, Carla immersed herself in the landscape, drawing on years of field experience, careful equipment testing across changing conditions, and sharp intuition. To avoid disturbing the eagles, she relied on strategically placed cameras, minimizing her presence in the field and checking them carefully and efficiently as conditions allowed, monitoring shifts in light, weather, and even water droplets on the lens. A trail camera helped refine positioning, ensuring each frame captured exactly what she hoped to reveal.
The result is a compelling body of images that brings us into rare proximity with a species that often remains just beyond view.
In one striking photograph, a juvenile golden eagle stands at a research station deep within Bernheim’s natural areas as contrails streak the sky above, a quiet but powerful juxtaposition. The image underscores the forest’s role as a vital refuge for wildlife in an increasingly human-dominated world.
But as with any true immersion in the wild, the story extends beyond a single species.
Alongside golden eagles, Carla captured a beaver moving through its watery domain, and a particularly expressive (and unmistakably hissy) Canadian Goose asserting its presence. These glimpses remind us that Bernheim is not only a sanctuary for the rare and majestic but also a living, breathing ecosystem full of personality, tension, and surprise.
Together, these images offer more than documentation; they invite connection. Through the powerful medium of photography, Carla Rhodes draws viewers into an emotional relationship with the natural world, illuminating often-overlooked species and inspiring respect, stewardship, and protection. In doing so, the work contributes to a broader response to climate change. These images ask us to slow down, to look closer, and to recognize that even in a world increasingly shaped by human activity, places like Bernheim remain essential, offering space for wildlife to persist, and for us to witness, reflect, and reconnect within its beautiful surroundings.
Carla’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and on three separate occasions in The Guardian, one of which showcased powerful images of Bernheim’s pristine forest. She has been a featured artist on Science Friday and recently received a New York Emmy Award for her participation in an acclaimed video entitled “How to Photograph Wildlife You Can’t See”.
