Whether they attend one of our educational programs, take a condor tour, or find us online from states away, we have the privilege of working with some dedicated and passionate youth. We highlight some of these committed youth who have helped raise awareness for condors in their own unique, creative ways . . .
|
Condor wilderness camp alumna gets scholarship to study wildlife biology!
Vertical Divider
|
joining our monthly condor zoom-chat helped with a Condor school project
Katie’s 2nd grade teacher gave the kids an animal research project which involved learning about animal habitats and creating a diorama. Katie chose the California Condor for her project. Once she started reading and learning about the condor, Katie fell in love.
Katie joined the monthly Condor Zoom-Chat in April and really enjoyed chatting with the scientists. Not only did she learn more about the threats these magnificent birds face, but she also learned that she might be able to spot a real condor nearby. The scientists told her where to look. Katie shared fascinating condor facts with her class in a short presentation and encouraged her classmates to pick up litter to mitigate some of the threats condors face. Most recently, Katie spent the day near Big Sur looking for condors with her grandparents. She says it was exciting to see big birds in the air. 
|
|
Celestine and the condor scouts
Celestine Chee bursts into spontaneous song about her “life’s devotion — condors” after watching a video of a condor chick in its nest. Celestine’s mom Allie isn’t quite sure what happened in that little moment when their family visited Big Sur, but says it’s wonderful to be a witness in the aftermath. Her daughter has created a club called the Condor Scouts, and the small group of youth does a litter pick up every day. She also gives a presentation (3-5x per day!) about helping condors to anyone who asks about her Condor Scouts cap, which she wears everywhere. Celestine meets the most wonderful people doing this work—and her mom sees it bring out the best in people. Once when Celestine was doing her advocacy work in a restaurant the family stopped at, she ended up speaking with a gentleman who was really supportive of Celestine and the condors, and insisted on making a donation then and there (which Celestine’s family generously matched).
Celestine keeps busy with her daily litter pick-ups and working on her digital and print materials for sharing information about the California condor with the folks she meets. In an email to us, Celestine says, “I am also making ‘Condor Scouts - No Micro-litter’ signs to hang in restaurants, but I make sure these signs are secure and do not become micro-litter itself. I have a cat named Cleo Fluffington who watches the condor cam with me!” Allie doesn’t know what exactly happened, but says their lives are now firmly on course with these lovely creatures. Watch Celestine’s video introducing her Condor Scouts group and encouraging others in how to protect condors. Read an article about Celestine and Kids Helping Condors in the Los Gatos Birdwatcher Newsletter (page 6) 
Vertical Divider
|
Lemonade for Condors
Michaela and Miles Carbaat held a lemonade stand in their neighborhood to raise funds for condors.
|
|
endangered species club
One spring day, a dapper young man named Kyle Groves walked into our office to hand deliver a donation he raised through his Endangered Animal Club. His concern for endangered species led Kyle to pull together his classmates to form the club, which meets regularly to learn about endangered species and how young students can make a difference. Through his efforts, Kyle not only brought awareness to the issue of endangered animals but also created a way to empower many of his classmates to help by taking action.
Vertical Divider
|
