The People of The Peregrine Fund: Erin Brannon

“My original plan as a kid was to be a marine biologist, but growing up in the landlocked desert Southwest, that wasn’t really an option,” says our Senior Condor Biologist Erin Brannon. She gravitated toward environmental science in college, which eventually led to a wildlife crew job at Zion National Park in Utah where she first encountered California Condors. “And the rest, as they say, is history,” she says with a smile.

This month marks Erin’s 12th year anniversary working for The Peregrine Fund, all twelve years spent with our California Condor reintroduction program. Erin and the rest of our team manage the Arizona-Utah flock of these Critically Endangered scavengers. The work includes tracking condors using GPS and radio telemetry, testing (and treating) birds for lead exposure, providing food for newly released captive-bred condors, and much more. As Erin puts it, “Pretty much anything that needs to be done to keep condors happy and healthy in the wild.” 

Their commitment to such a rigorous job can be as heartbreaking as it is rewarding. During Erin’s time with The Peregrine Fund, the condor program has seen perhaps more than its fair share of ups and downs, and the past 14 months—with a one-two combination of a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza epidemic and lead poisoning events—has been one of the toughest periods in her tenure. But Erin still sees plenty to be cheerful about.

“What has brought me the most joy over the past few years has been the young birds,” explains Erin. “The world just seems so much brighter and newer to them, and they’re super inquisitive about it. It’s an honor and a privilege to watch them learn and grow and to do the best I can to help them succeed. They are the future of the condor project.”

Catch more installments of "The People of The Peregrine Fund" here.