UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Chris Parish, wildlife biologist and co-founder of the North American Non-Lead Partnership, will describe his work to save California condors from extinction during a free Zoom webinar from 5 to 6 p.m. on April 8.
The webinar, "The California Condor: Twenty Years of Species Recovery — What to Do with What We've Learned," is sponsored by The Arboretum at Penn State's Avian Education Program and the Department of Ecosystem Science and Management in the College of Agricultural Sciences.
Many people are aware of the near-extinction of the condor, North America's largest bird, but the causes of its endangerment are less well known. Research has revealed that lead poisoning is currently the single greatest threat to the condor's recovery. In his talk, Parish will discuss condor conservation and its implications for other species.
Through his early enjoyment of hunting and fishing in the rural San Joaquin Valley and his later education and professional work, Parish has strong roots in both hunting and nonhunting elements of the conservation community. He has learned from experience that conservation programs based on science alone are insufficient.
He notes that it is equally important to engage every stakeholder — local communities, sportsmen and wildlife specialists — in these efforts. His presentation will highlight this principle using the example of California condor recovery.
After earning a bachelor's degree in biology with an emphasis on fish and wildlife management at Northern Arizona University, Parish worked for the Arizona Game and Fish Department as a wildlife biologist.
He then moved to the private sector as director of global conservation and condor program director for the Peregrine Fund, where he continues his passion for wildlife by creating partnerships in recovery efforts in Arizona and Utah. As co-founder of the North American Non-Lead Partnership, he advocates for the voluntary use of nonlead ammunition to improve ecosystem and wildlife health.
The presentation is free of charge, but advance registration is required at this link.