Eagle’s eye view: Telescope installed to view eagle’s nest in Little Pine; honors late park ranger
PHOTO PROVIDED Family members of the late Charles “Charlie” Probst and staff at Little Pine State Park are pictured after the unveiling of a telescope near the eagles nest which was purchased through the Charles Probst Memorial Fund.
A visitor to Little Pine State Park utilizes the newly installed telescope, purchased through the Charles Probst Memorial Fund, which can give viewers a closer look at the eagles nest in the park. PHOTO PROVIDED
PHOTO PROVIDED This view shows the angle at which the telescope is pointed. The eagles nest is located across the water in the treeline, which can be viewed through the telescope.
PHOTO PROVIDED A bald eagle near the nest is shown through the telescope lens.
PHOTO PROVIDED Family members of the late Charles “Charlie” Probst and staff at Little Pine State Park are pictured after the unveiling of a telescope near the eagles nest which was purchased through the Charles Probst Memorial Fund.
A visitor to Little Pine State Park utilizes the newly installed telescope, purchased through the Charles Probst Memorial Fund, which can give viewers a closer look at the eagles nest in the park. PHOTO PROVIDED
PHOTO PROVIDED This view shows the angle at which the telescope is pointed. The eagles nest is located across the water in the treeline, which can be viewed through the telescope.
PHOTO PROVIDED A bald eagle near the nest is shown through the telescope lens.
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WATERVILLE -- One man's love for Little Pine State Park and its beauty has led to the installation of new equipment to help visitors see one of its more unique sights -- a bald eagle nest.
The late Charles "Charlie" Probst, formerly of Avis, had a deep love of the outdoors, having served as an environmental interpretation technician and park ranger at Little Pine for 25 years.
"He was a mainstay at the park from around 1980 to 2005," Alan Probst, his son, said of his father.
On Friday, a special unveiling of the telescope -- which will allow park goers to view the eagle's nest clearly -- brought to life a dream for the later Probst.
The telescope was purchased through the Charles Probst Memorial Fund, a 501c set up by his family to carry on the traditions of outdoors in his honor.
Outside of his work at Little Pine, Charles was previously a school teacher at Jersey Shore Elementary for 30 years; was a co-host for the WILD Pennsylvania outdoors television show on Fox 56 from 2005 to 2020 and a frequent guest lecturer on the nationally aired North American Trapper which can still be seen on the Pursuit Channel.
While working at Little Pine, according to Alan, his father often said he wished people could have a better view of the eagle's nest.
"He would always say that the people that go there without binoculars can't see the eagles nest very well," Alan said. "He always mentioned he would try and point it out to visitors but, at the distance and the foliage covering the nest at times, it was very hard to see."
Alan said the family thought installing the telescope would be a wonderful project to complete in his honor.
"He was always trying to make it better for all visitors at the park," he said.
The telescope is free to use and installed at the landing across from the nest at the head of Little Pine Dam.
"It is there to be used by all visitors from dusk till dawn," Alan said.