Our thoughts are first and foremost with people being affected by the fires and the firefighters who are doing such a valiant job preserving life, property and nature.

As a record number of wildfires rage across California, residents in threatened areas are fleeing for safety. And wildlife are fleeing too, seeking refuge.

“Nature needs room to move — especially when there are huge natural disturbances like these,” says Scott Morrison, the Conservancy’s director of conservation science in California.

“The fires really highlight the importance of protecting large expanses of habitat,” he says.

As flames continue to move through Big Sur’s canyons and redwood forests, many animals — including rare California condors — are finding the refuge they need, thanks in part to efforts by The Nature Conservancy to preserve lands and waters across the state.

Protecting a Dwindling Species

With only about 125 wild California condors in the world, every condor counts.

The Ventana Wildlife Society — a nonprofit organization that breeds condors and releases adults into the wild — has been closely monitoring the birds’ movements. Some have been fitted with sophisticated GPS transmitters, so ecologists will be able to trace the routes the birds take to find refuge.

Fortunately, the condors have options. There are pockets of condor-friendly habitat in the vicinity, from national forest land to private ranches. Some of these pockets have been protected over the years by the Conservancy.

Working with partners such as Big Sur Land Trust, the Conservancy has preserved thousands of acres in Monterey County alone:

• 11,190-acre Gabilan Ranch;


• 4,300-acre Dorrance Ranch; and


• 9,898-acre Palo Corona Ranch, which sits right at the northern end of Big Sur.

A Flight to Safety for the Condors

When it appeared that the fires in Big Sur would threaten the facility where Ventana Wildlife Society rears and releases condors, the Coast Guard came to the rescue. Eight juvenile condors were plucked from danger and airlifted to the other VWS base in Pinnacles National Monument, just over the St. Lucia Mountains.

It was a prudent decision: the condor pens in Big Sur completely burned.

But all is quiet in nearby Pinnacles. From the pens here, young birds look out over an expanse of rich grasslands perfect for foraging condors.

The Conservancy protected this land — the former Pinnacles Ranch — from development in 2004. Now, when Ventana’s experts deem young birds ready for release, they will find safe, quality habitat right outside the door.

Nature picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (California condor); Photo © Chris Helzer (Fire); Photo © Joe Burnett/Ventana Wildlife Society (California condor chick that survived the wildfires).