February 5, 2012
EUREKA -- The next lecture in Sequoia Park
Zoo's conservation series promises a fascinating
introduction about the fight to save the iconic California
condor from extinction. It will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday
in the zoo's classroom in the Secrets of the Forest
building, with a reception starting 30 minutes prior to the
talk.
Yurok Tribe Wildlife Biologist Chris West
will present an illustrated talk on the “The California
Condor: Recovery Still in the Balance.” He will cover the
biology and history of condors throughout their range,
threats to the species and resulting declines, and the
current conservation program history and progress. This will
include a brief discussion of the Pacific Northwest and how
the Yurok Tribe's project fits into the larger conservation
effort.
”Many people on the North Coast are
unaware that California condors once soared through the
skies across our region,” said West. “My goal with this
presentation is to inform the public about the history of
condors in our region, the threats facing recovery efforts
and how the public can become advocates for the species and
participate in the recovery effort.”
West's passion for condors began when he
interned with the Ventana Wildlife Society, reintroducing
and managing California condors in Big Sur. He pursued his
master's degree in wildlife at Humboldt State University,
and his thesis focused on how a condor's behavior can inform
science on how the raptor perceives its surroundings. He
also fell in love with the North Coast's diverse wildlife
and habitats, and was able to combine his two passions when
the Yurok Tribe revealed plans to investigate the
possibility of reintroducing the species to the Klamath
Basin. He is now the senior wildlife biologist for the
tribe, heading up condor reintroduction feasibility studies
and community outreach.
”We first connected with Chris a couple of
years ago,” said Gretchen Ziegler, zoo manager and chair of
the Conservation Committee. “Sequoia Park Zoo is keeping
actively engaged with the tribe's efforts with plans to
assist in whatever way we can with the reintroduction of
this magnificent species.”
The final lecture in the current series
will take place on March 7. Lowell Diller, senior biologist
for Green Diamond Resource Co., will discuss the “Continued
Saga of the Spotted Owl: Did we learn what it needs for
habitat only to be trumped by a new threat?”
Sequoia Park Zoo is located at 3414 W St.
in Eureka. For more information, visit
www.sequoiaparkzoo.net
or call 441-4263. Sequoia Park Zoo's mission is to inspire
wonder, understanding and respect for the natural world by
providing fun, rewarding, educational experiences that
encourage meaningful connections between animals, humans and
the environment.
