SHELBY TOWNSHIP, Mich. – The Shelby Township Nature Center called on the community to help name a pair of nesting bald eagles, and the results are in!
A poll was released to the public and had five options for names, all influenced by notable Shelby Township residents or prominent Americans linked to the area.
The poll wrapped up on April 21 and had 3,500 votes. The poll winner was announced on Earth Day, and the winner is Peter and Sarah.
Peter and Sarah Lerich was a family who oversaw Spring Hill Farm, which was a stop for many on the Underground Railroad.
“Interestingly, our residents chose to honor two former township residents that built a home and history one mile from the location that the eagles chose to call home,” Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis said in a statement. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate our parks and wildlife than to honor the Lerich family and our history on the Underground Railroad.”
Below are the five options that residents voted on:
- Peter & Sarah
- Nathaniel & Jemima
- Ike & Mamie
- Isaac & Susannah
- Anna & Harold
Read: 2 American bald eagles spotted, likely breeding at Shelby Township nature center
Behind the other name options:
- Nathanial and Jemima are the names of the Squires who were one of the first European settlers in the Shelby Township area and founded the first religious community, which still exists as Utica United Methodist Church.
- Ike and Mami are the names of the 34th president and the first lady. There is a high school in Shelby Township named after the former president.
- Isaac and Susannah are the names of a prominent couple in Shelby Township. Isaac Shelby is the namesake of the Macomb County city. Shelby served as a lieutenant in his father’s company and served as a member of the 1792 convention that drew up Kentucky’s first constitution.
- Last but not least, there is Anna and Harold. These two are not married but are the namesakes of the Michigan Nature Association sanctuary in Shelby Township. The sanctuary was part of a land grant from former President Andrew Jackson in 1833.
“The response to the nesting eagles shows how our community has always supported our parks and natural spaces,” Parks, Recreation and Maintenance Director Joe Youngblood said in a statement. “The eagles have shined a brighter light on Holland Ponds Park, and I hope everyone can come to this year’s Heron Festival to learn more about what makes this park so unique.”