>> IN PREVIOUS GENERATIONS, IMMIGRANTS USED TO BE -- OR HAPPENED TO BE EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS.

SO THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH RACIAL ISSUES.

MOST OF THE IMMIGRANTS FROM EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ARE CHRISTIANS.

AND HERE WE HAVE EAST AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS WHO ARE MUSLIMS.

HERE WE HAVE WOMEN WHO ARE WEARING DIFFERENT KIND OF CLOTHING.

HERE WE HAVE IMMIGRANTS ASKING FOR TIME, PRAY TIME IN THE WORKPLACE.

THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN BEFORE WITH PREVIOUS IMMIGRANTS.

>> Eric: THIS SUMMER OUR MARY LAHAMMER SET OUT TO COVER ANOTHER SLICE OF THE STATE'S HISTORY, SCIENCE AND CULTURE UP NORTH.

SHE CHOSE THE HUGE BODY OF WATER ON MINNESOTA'S NORTHERN BORDER, RAINY LAKE.

THE LAKE BOASTS MORE THAN 2,000 MILES OF SHORELINE AND HOSTS THE STATE'S ONLY NATIONAL PARK.

AND THAT'S WHERE MARY STARTS HER SERIES TONIGHT IN VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK.

>> YOU'RE GONNA GO HOME REAL QUICK.

>> Mary: THIS IS SOMETHING FEW PEOPLE HAVE EVER SEEN.

CHICKS OF A SPECIES NEARLY WIPED OFF THE MAP.

>> MARY, I WANTED TO BRING YOU DOWN HERE JUST TO SHOW YOU WHAT IT'S LIKE UNDERNEATH AN EAGLE'S NEST.

>> Mary: LEE GRIM HAS DEDICATED MOST OF HIS LIFE TO BIRDS.

NOW AS A SEASONAL BIOLOGIST WITH THE PARK, HIS PASSION HASN'T DIMINISHED A BIT.

AFTER MORE THAN A QUARTER CENTURY STUDYING AND SAVING THE AMERICAN EAGLE.

>> AND, SO, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'LL NOTICE HERE, FIRST OF ALL, LOOK AT ALL THOSE STICKS.

YOU SEE THAT?

IF YOU LOOK UP AT THE NEST UP HERE, YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A BIG TON OF STICKS.

AND, SO, -- >> Mary: AND THEY'RE BIG STICKS.

I'VE SEEN THEM BEFORE.

THESE ARE NOT LITTLE DAINTY TWIGS THAT WE'RE USED TO SEEING FOR BIRD'S NESTS.

THESE ARE BIG HONKIN' BRANCHES ALMOST.

>> SOMETIMES YOU'LL SEE EAGLES FLY ALONG A DEAD TREE, A SNAG, THEY'LL PUT THEIR FEET OUT, THEY'LL BREAK ONE OFF, FLY IT BACK TO THEIR NEST SITE.

SO THERE'S EVIDENCE THAT THIS NEST HAS BEEN HERE FOR QUITE A WHILE.

>> Mary: WHAT EVIDENCE DO WE HAVE?

>> THERE'S AN OLD EAGLE'S FEATHER RIGHT HERE.

AND WHENEVER YOU HANG OUT AROUND THESE NESTS, YOU USUALLY FIND SOME FEATHERS BECAUSE THE BIRDS DO GO THROUGH THEIR MOMENTING PROCESS.

AND THEY WOULD BE BURNED TO ANALYZE THEM FOR MERCURY.

>> Mary: HOW ARE THE MERCURY LEVELS DOING?

>> WELL, THE MERCURY LEVELS ARE DOING BETTER.

>> Mary: BALD EAGLES ARE DOING MUCH BETTER.

IN FACT, THEIR POPULATION IS BOOMING IN VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK.

>> OUR POPULATION HAS BEEN GROWING ON A STEADY TREND LINEUP WARDS SINCE BACK IN '73.

WE'VE GOT EVIDENCE OF OVER 206 NESTS THAT WE'VE WATCHED OVER THAT 30 SOME YEAR PERIOD AND WE'VE WATCHED THE NUMBER OF BREEDING AREAS INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY.

TO THE POINT NOW WHERE WE'VE GOT MORE EAGLES THAN THE HOTEL CAN HOLD.

[ Laughter ] IF YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING.

[ ♪♪ ] >> AND IF YOU COME TO VOYAGEURS NATIONAL PARK, I GUARANTEE YOU, IF YOU COME HERE FROM MAY, JUNE, JULY, EVEN IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, YOU'RE GONNA SEE EAGLES LIKE YOU CAN'T IMAGINE.

>> Mary: EVEN THOUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TOOK THE BALD EAGLE OFF THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST, THEIR HOMES HERE ARE PROTECTED DURING NESTING SEASON.

>> DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY'RE DOWN LISTED OR NOT, NONTHREATENED SPECIES NOW OR NOT.

>> Mary: NOW THAT THE YOUNG CAN LEAVE THE NEST, THIS CAMP SITE CAN RE-OPEN.

>>'SLETS HAVE LEFT, MARY.

MY RANGER FRIENDS WILL BE VERY HAPPY THAT THIS IS OPENING BECAUSE PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT TO COME AND USE A SITE LIKE THIS.

EAGLELETS.

>> Mary: AND AT A SITE LIKE THIS, IT'S OBVIOUS EAGLES SIT ATOP THE FOOD CHAIN.

A WING SPAN OF SEVEN TO EIGHT FEET AND PIERCING STRENGTH, COMBINED TO LAND SOME SIZABLE SNACKS.

>> ANOTHER THING YOU'LL NOTICE HERE IS THIS BIG WING.

LIKE YOU'D GO TO CUB FOODS OR WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST GO TO THE CORMORANT THING, HANG OUT AND KIND OF FIND SOME YOUNG CORMORANTS AND BRING THEM BACK OR SOME OLD CORMORANTS AND BRING THEM BACK.

>> Mary: PROBABLY NOT A SURPRISE TO YOU, BIG SHOCK FOR SOMEBODY LIKE ME TO COME IN AND SEE AND HEAR ABOUT THE SCALE OF PREY THAT THE EAGLES TAKE.

>> YEAH.

IT'S IMPRESSIVE.

>> Mary: YEAH.

>> I MEAN, THEY NEED A LOT OF FOOD TO KEEP GOING, AND THEY NEED TO SUPPLY THOSE YOUNG, TWO GROWING YOUNG IN THERE, THAT GO FROM ESSENTIALLY HATCHING TO 12 WEEKS LATER AND THEY'RE AS BIG AS THE ADULTS OR CAN BE AS BIG AS THE ADULTS AND HEAVIER BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN FLYING.

SO, THEY GROW FAST AND THEY NEED A LOT OF FOOD.

OH, HERE'S SOME WHITE FEATHERS.

AND THESE ARE PROBABLY FROM GULLS.

FISH LINE.

AND LOOK AT THAT.

ISN'T THAT AMAZING?

>> Mary: PONYTAIL HOLDER.

>> SOMETHING.

THIS IS A GOOD SMELLY BEAUTY.

LOOK AT THAT, EH?

THIS IS WHAT'S KNOWN AS A LAWYER.

THAT'S ONE NAME FOR IT.

OR FRESH WATER COD OR LING.

THESE ARE CONSIDERED ROUGH FISH, BUT, ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY'RE MIGHTY GOOD EATING.

THIS IS PRETTY JUICY HERE.

>> Mary: EW.

WHILE ANYMOREABLY SORTING THROUGH THE SMELLY MESS OF DISCARDED FOOD, YOU GET THE SENSE THIS IS MORE THAN A JOB FOR LEE GRIM.

>> IT IS A PASSION.

IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE.

THERE AREN'T MANY PLACES ON THE PLANET LIKE THIS AREA HERE.

I MEAN, WE GOT ROCK, WE GOT SKY, WE GOT TREES, WE GOT WATER, AND EVERY TIME YOU GO OUT, IT'S DIFFERENT, IT'S ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.

AND IT'S A WONDERFUL PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO COME RECREATE AND TO