On October 15, at a dinner at the Falmouth Rod & Gun Club, the Friends of Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge presented the 2026 David Ross Palmer Environmental Hero Award to Tom Eagle, who recently retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) after spending nearly 20 years as Deputy Project Leader of the Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex. The Palmer Award is named for the late founder and first president of the Friends, who was a champion of the environment. The Friends initiated this award in 2013 to honor community leaders who demonstrate outstanding dedication and excellent stewardship and conservation work within the Mashpee NWR. Tom Eagle is the seventh recipient of the Palmer Award and provided his background and comments in an email interview.
Tom grew up in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and was proud to call himself a “Piney.” In 1995, he began his career with USFWS as a temporary forester in charge of running the Atlantic White Cedar restoration project on the 285,000-acre Alligator River NWR and 50,000 acre Dare County Bombing Range in North Carolina. In 1998, just 2 months after the birth of his twin children, he started his first permanent position as a forester for the Blackwater River NWR on the Eastern shore of Maryland. He then began a quest to become a Wildlife Refuge Manager and after completing the “Leadership Pathways” training program, he served at Blackwater, Chesapeake Islands and the Eastern Neck NWR until a downsizing forced him to relocate. In 2008, Tom was fortunate to become Deputy Project Leader of the Eastern Massachusetts NWR Complex, which includes refuges in Eastern Massachusetts and Cape Cod, and moved to Shrewsbury, MA with his wife, Jackie, and 8-year-old twins, Leah and Jake. Here, they raised their family and made life-long friends. “Regardless of where my career took me and my family, I was always supported by them and all of us flourished in our new environment,” Tom told us. He also expressed his good fortune being able to partake in hobbies such as fishing, hunting and “everything outdoors.”
Reflecting on his retirement, Tom cited wildland fire management, wetland restoration, island and stream restoration as some of the aspects he enjoyed most in his career. He also noted how much he thoroughly enjoyed working with partners, volunteers, and most of all, his Friends Groups. He explained further, “As most of you know, the Mashpee NWR is near and dear to my heart because it reminds me of where I grew up. But it is also no secret that I loved Mashpee NWR because of how happy and proud I felt when all of our partners worked together to accomplish some amazing projects to improve wildlife and their habits for future generations.”
Tom expressed how honored he was to receive the Palmer Award and be considered an environmental hero. He said it was probably the greatest form of recognition he received in his 30-year career. “Plus this form of recognition means even more since it came from my favorite Friends group.” When asked what he learned that may motivate others to act to have a positive impact on the environment, he offered “first follow your passion, surround yourself with others who share that passion, and then build a team that can work together to accomplish great things.” He makes it sound so simple.
Tom’s most noteworthy accomplishments that have had a long-lasting impact on the Cape included “being part of the team to implement the first prescribed burn in Mashpee and then continuing to educate regulators to ensure that prescribed fire, mechanical fuel reduction and forest management became mainstream and were no longer associated with negative environmental impacts.” He also mentioned being very proud of his role in cold water stream restoration and the recovery of the Sea Run Brook Trout. “I was also very happy to have been part of finally opening up the refuge to the public after 30 years. I only hope that the Friends and the Refuge Partnership finally get the Visitor Center they so greatly deserve,” he added. It is fitting that as part of the Palmer Award, a tree will be planted in his name at the future visitor center.
Tom ended by expressing to the Friends and our community how much he thoroughly misses working with each and every one of us. “Thank you all for being by my side for a majority of my FWS journey,” he stated. Tom Eagle was a valued partner in the Mashpee NWR for nearly 20 years, a true environmental hero. His accomplishments, leadership and support were appreciated and respected by all. Tom, we’ll miss you too.