Jenny Slaughter Volunteers For The California Condor Recovery Program

California Condor

As a volunteer for the California Condor Recovery Program sponsored by U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the Santa Barbara Zoo, Aspen’s Lead Environmental Monitor Jenny Slaughter gained access to some of our state’s most precious avian resources-the nesting California Condor.   The USFWS and Santa Barbara Zoo train volunteers each year to conduct observations on condor nests in Southern California.  Volunteers travel to remote locations to observe nests and provide detailed observations of the condor’s nesting activity.  Information gathered helps the program staff identify potential signs of concern or problems during the nesting period with the intention of preventing nest failures for the species.

Examples of microtrash found during construction of one of Aspen’s projects.

Among other important details we are trained to look for is the presence of microtrash in the nest.  Microtrash can be small pieces of material that condors sometimes digest or feed to their young.  Microtrash ingestion can be potentially fatal to young condors. Because of this threat, USFWS staff will routinely check condor nests for bits of trash and remove any found. 

Mitigation Measures on current Aspen compliance monitoring projects within the territory of the California Condor, require the removal microtrash from work areas during construction.  Jenny and other Aspen Environmental Compliance Monitors are always on the lookout for project-related microtrash that could pose a threat to wild condors.