CONDORS MAY BE ADMIRED... in a few special spots around California, including Big Sur and Pinnacles National Park. But soon a new place will be known for the giant-of-wingspan birds, an endangered species that saw its numbers drop way, way down only three decades ago due to issues like lead-poisoning ("an all-time low of 22 individuals," if you're curious as to how many condors were in the world in the 1980s, and you likely are). People mightily concerned with this drop have come together on numerous projects over the years, all with an eye to supporting a robust condor population and making sure their environments are safe and healthy and can continually provide a base for happy and continued condor furtherment. The news grows happier and healthier, for the condors' base is expanding in the years ahead, thanks to a multi-organization project that aims to "attain 'flight ready' status and release condors in Redwood National Park in Fall 2019."
A NUMBER OF ELEMENTS... are part of this huge undertaking, a project that has partners in the National Park Foundation, the Yurok Tribe, the National Park Service, and the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Condors, which are important and sacred birds to the Yurok Tribe, will be released within the tribe's ancestral territory, which is located inside the tree-beautiful national park. But before that happens, several parts must slide into place, including the "(c)onstruction of a condor release facility at a site in Redwood National Park" and the "(d)esign of a remote tracking and monitoring system to better understand flight and habitat patterns." The funds helping the condor release stem from the $350 million Centennial Campaign for America's National Parks, but the public will also play a part via a series of upcoming meetings in January 2017 in Klamath, Eureka, Sacramento, and two Oregon cities, Medford and Portland. If you'd like to join this bird-amazing bridge-building for one of our state's most epic, in-the-air symbols, check out when and where you can join a meeting and learn how we can all help the condors.
