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• Great news from San Simeon! Five new California condors have arrived safely at the release site after a long journey from San Diego Zoo, Idaho, and Oregon. Kara Fadden with our two new interns, Kaitlyn Tunick and Emma Brisco, met up in Truckee to collect the birds before driving them to our Monterey office, where Danae Mouton, Kaitlyn, and Emma made the final leg to San Simeon. All 5 condors have settled into the pen and have had their first visitor: wild condor, Thunderchief (758), who flew in to check out the newcomers! The birds will spend about 6 weeks acclimating before their release into the wild flock this fall. A huge thank you to Oregon Zoo, San Diego Zoo, and The Peregrine Fund for these incredible birds.

• Mark your calendars: release day is set for Saturday, October 24! Before then, join us for our September 24 Condor Chat, where viewers will help pick the top five names for this year's cohort from a rock and mineral themed list our biologists put together. The interns will then name each of the five condor Rookies based on the personalities they observe over the following weeks. Watch it all come together live at our October Condor Chat & Release.

• Condor (868) and Condor (340) are back in the wild! Watch the August Condor Chat recording for Joe's recount of the day - with the Timber Fire cutting off access to our Big Sur Condor Sanctuary, a CAL FIRE escort made the release possible. Condor Program Manager Joe Burnett, alongside CAL FIRE, set these two birds free after their recovery from lead poisoning, and both have since made their way to Pinnacles National Park, right where they belong. Our deepest thanks to CAL FIRE for helping bring them home. Please support our Save the Condors Campaign.

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Species Recovery

California Condors
Restoring California Condors to the wild, since 1997

By the 1980s, the California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) population was in crisis, and extinction in the wild seemed imminent. The dramatic decline of condors in the 20th century has been attributed to shooting, poisoning, electric power lines, egg collecting, and habitat loss. In 1987, the last wild California Condor was taken into captivity to join the 26 remaining condors in an attempt to bolster the population through a captive breeding program. At that time, it was uncertain whether or not North America's largest flying land bird (by  wingspan, 9.5 feet) would ever again soar in the wild.

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condor Biology

If you find a sick, injured, or deceased condor: ​​Please do not attempt to handle or move them, contact us ASAP and we will assist. 

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Bald Eagles
From 1986-2000, restored a breeding population of Bald Eagles to the central California coast

Bald Eagles are breeding once again in the central California coast region, thanks to a successful re-introduction project. In 14-years we released 70 juvenile Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) at our Big Sur Sanctuary. Our goal was to establish a population of four adult breeding Bald Eagle pairs, in the hopes of creating a self-sustaining population. At our last count, we found 30 nesting territories and the wild Bald Eagle population is thriving! 

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This video, filmed June 13, 2024, shows a mother feeding her eaglets in San Simeon, CA. These descendants of the 70 Bald Eagles released over 24 years ago are a testament to our species recovery program's success!

Education
​​​Connecting youth to nature since 1992​

We provide outdoor education programs that connect youth with nature and discovery. Using our fleet of four 15-passenger vans, we pick up participants from communities stretching from Castroville to Salinas, and inland from Prunedale to Greenfield. Our adventures take students whale watching in the bay, kayaking at Elkhorn Slough, exploring tidepools at Point Pinos, venturing into caves at Pinnacles National Park, and hiking through forests in the Ventana Wilderness. For many, these are first-time experiences that open the door to a new world, new emotions, and new possibilities. Each year, more than 1,300 youth take part in our programs - but our focus remains on the individual, their personal discoveries, and the potential they hold to inspire others.

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VWS partners with communities throughout Monterey County to offer weekly off-site nature classes for youth during the school year. In addition, we host monthly on-site Community Outdoor Club meetings, single-day field trips, and overnight campouts for participants of all ages year-round. More . . . ​

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