Ventana Wildlife Society

Ventana Wildlife Society (VWS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1977 by a group of private citizens to restore endangered species native to central California.

VWS has three full-time staff biologists, together with seasonal interns, monitoring, tracking and researching endangered species, songbirds and butterflies.

1992: The Ventana Wildlife Society Research and Education Center opened in Andrew Molera State Park, off scenic Highway 1, Big Sur.

1996: VWS was commended by the California State Senate for its distinguished record of serving the recovery needs of Central Coast endangered species and for instilling a sense of stewardship for the environment through direct educational experience.

2020: During the wildfire season, a research building, pens, and other facilities were destroyed on their 80-acre (32 ha) sanctuary in Big Sur that has been used to release the condors into the wild since 1997.

Decades of shooting, environmental degradation, and lead poisoning had reduced the population to an unviable number that most likely would not survive to the new millennium without this urgent, and at times controversial,[8] intervention.

VWS has created a website where one can learn more about the varied personalities of each of the birds of the Big Sur flock, and a live streaming camera operated by Explore.org.

But California condors continue to be plagued with lead poisoning, micro-trash ingestion, and DDT residues,[12] which all are seriously hampering the long-term recovery of the species.

[13][14][15] The Vallejo Times Herald reported that in May 2014, California condor #597 (also known as Lupine) was spotted near Pescadero, a coastal community south of San Francisco.

During the next two days, the fire burned through the 80-acre (32 ha) site, destroyed a research building, pens, and other facilities, and killed ten adult condors and two chicks.