| Grand Canyon celebrates three decades of California condor conservation
-Caroline Grass, Science Communications Assistant
In 1982 there were just 22 California condors alive in the world. Lead poisoning, the leading cause of death for the population, had killed thousands of birds. Without intervention, the species would have gone extinct.
But help came through sustained partnership led by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. National parks, state and federal agencies, Tribes, nonprofit organizations, and community groups worked together to save this bird — a crucial scavenger that keeps ecosystems healthy — from extinction. The California condor was listed as endangered in 1967, captive breeding began in the 1980s, and a recovery plan was created by 1996. In the 30 years since condors were re-released in the Southwest, the population has increased to 392 in the wild and 215 in captivity, a cause for celebration at Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA).
To commemorate this conservation milestone and continue education efforts about California condors, GRCA held a celebration event September 12, 2026.
Condor education and celebration
Parks rangers Shelby Thomaston and Allie Terry organized the event with the support of the Grand Canyon Conservancy. Thomaston said it seemed fitting to celebrate the 30-year milestone with an event.
“I think they are the coolest animal in the park, it’s the best conservation story,” Thomaston said. “It’s really inspiring, so I take any chance I can to talk about condors.” Terry added, “Having an opportunity and platform to talk about why we have this conservation story and why we protect condors is really important.”
The day started with a ranger-led rim walk focused on the California condor. Over 30 people, visitors and Grand Canyon residents alike, attended. Liberty Wildlife, a wildlife rehabilitation, environmental education, and conservation service nonprofit, released a rehabilitated red-tailed hawk and had two ambassador birds for visitors to see throughout the day.
Ginny Chaussee, a Liberty Wildlife volunteer, started volunteering with the organization in 2018 because she was interested in California condors, having first seen them in the wild as a canyon hiker after they were first re-released. “Sometimes when you see a bird, it gives you a different perspective, you see how beautiful they are,” Chaussee said. “[It’s important] to let people know what the dangers are out there and how they can help protect the animals and appreciate them.”
Building community through art
The celebration event showcased not just birds and the California condor conservation story but art, with a painting project and puppet show. Artist and community member Alicia Wilson hosted a collaborative painting activity. At Wilson’s table, visitors and Grand Canyon staff joined together to paint a canvas that will be turned into a postcard to highlight community, collaboration, and the California condor. The condor’s story was also highlighted in a puppet show, titled “Canyon Condor,” performed by the Great Arizona Puppet Theater.
Condor conservation
The Peregrine Fund, an international bird conservation nonprofit, has been instrumental in California condor conservation and hosted a table at the event. The Peregrine Fund started breeding California condors in 1993 and those birds were the first released in the Southwest 30 years ago in 1996. The organization raises birds in captivity, releases them and monitors them in the wild, and addresses the threats they face — most importantly lead poisoning.
The Peregrine Fund traps and tests condors to monitor their health. Last year, 86% of those birds tested positive for lead and 51% had levels so elevated they required treatment. To help address the root problem, the Peregrine Fund works to educate hunters about the dangers of lead.
During the event, the Peregrine Fund screened part of a film “The American Southwest” for visitors. Tim Hauck, California condor program director for the organization, hosted a Q&A after the film. When asked about what he likes about condors and this work, Hauck responded: “To me the condor is one: awesome, but two: it represents hope that humans can actually right a wrong because we’re the reason that the species nearly went extinct, whether we knew it or not back then, we actually didn’t know that [lead] was the reason,” Hauck said. “But we had an opportunity to recover a species that was put at risk and people stepped up, and they’re still stepping up and making changes.”
California condor conservation work is ongoing as the species has been saved from extinction but is not yet at levels to have a self-sustaining population. On September 26, young California condors will be released by the Peregrine Fund and the Bureau of Land Management Vermilion Cliffs National Monument, continuing the growth and strength of the Arizona/Utah population. |
