The Institute for Wildlife Studies is proud to be part of the collaborative efforts to reestablish the California Condor in Central California.  Working with the project partners listed to your right, we are trying to help the 13 condors in the flock at Pinnacles National Monument by reducing the threat of lead poisoning in their environment.  There are three components to this effort:

Leading a Lead-Reduction & Environmental Stewardship Campaign

Ranchers and hunters are often unaware of the threat that lead ammunition poses to the health of both condors and humans.  We plan to use community forums, demonstration events, and other educational venues to publicize the benefits of using non-lead ammunition.

Blake McCann of IWS discusses alternatives to lead ammunition

Recruiting Volunteers for Condor Restoration

We will need volunteers to help in all phases of the Condor Restoration Project.  Most are expected to be young people, who will learn about ecology and wildlife biology first hand, working with leaders in these fields.

Streamline Efforts to Track the Health of the Condors

Wildlife biologists will need to keep a close eye on the locations of the condors.  This allows for immediate response if the birds ingest lead.  Technological advances have made it possible to place a GPS transmitter on a condor's wing, allowing us to track its movements via a simple download.  In addition, we plan to have a "virtual blind", which is a remotely controlled video camera that will permit us to monitor the condors' feeding activities from a distance.

NPS Photo by Ralph W. Schardt

NPS Photo by Sara Bartels

NPS Photo by Ralph W. Schardt