(KLZA) -- The annual Eagle Days celebration at Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge in Holt County, Missouri is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, December 7th and 8th.  This will be the 35th consecutive festival dedicated to Bald Eagles.  

Visitors to the Squaw Creek Refuge will be able to visit wetlands and have easy access to wildlife from their vehicle on the auto tour route or hiking one of the four trails in the Refuge. 

Eagle Days is a cooperative venture with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Remington Nature Center from St. Joseph and their partners including Missouri Western State University’s Student Chapter of Wildlife Society, Midland Empire Audobon Society, Friends of Squaw Creek and Missouri Department of Transportation.

All of the exhibits are free to the public and include the Eagle Shows Saturday hourly from 9 a-m until 3 p-m;  Free guided bus tours Saturday from 9:30 a-m until 3 p-m;  Eagle Shows Sunday from 11 a-m until 2 p-m on the hour and the new Native American Lodge display with more than 1,000 artifacts from the area.  

The Dickerson Park Zoo from Springfield, Missouri will bring captive Eagles for the special programs and live shows which are held in the refuge maintenance building both days.  The guided bus tours will leave from the visitors contact station.  The Friends of Squaw Creek will host a concession stand with food and beverages from 9 a-m until 4 p-m each day. 

Prior to Thanksgiving there were more than 175 eagles and more than 50,000 ducks on the refuge with the numbers expected to increase as Eagle Days approaches.  

For more information you may contact the Squaw Creek Refuge ag 660-442-3187.