Group Name: Big Sur is a nature lover’s paradise! First, our Wildlife Biologists will take you to the Big Sur Ornithology Lab, a constant effort mist net station in Andrew Molera State Park, to show you mist-netting and bird banding. Ventana Wildlife Society began mist-netting here in 1992, and since then has captured over 90,000 songbirds providing a critical dataset for the Pacific coast flyway. You will see birds in the hand and watch banding and data collection. The Big Sur River in Andrew Molera State Park provides one of the few remaining intact riparian corridors in California and is an important reference site for ecosystem restoration in other watersheds. Widely recognized as the most important feature for songbird density and diversity in the west, riparian habitat has declined in California by up to 97% of its former range. Ventana Wildlife Society uses the Big Sur Ornithology Lab to monitor avian population trends regionally, track seasonal productivity and other demographics, assess habitat health and change, and reach out to the public about conservation issues. Next, we will travel further down the coast for views of California condors. Ventana Wildlife Society began the release and recovery of condors in the central California coast in 1994, and we are the only private, non-profit organization working on their recovery. To date, we manage about 35 condors in Big Sur which is about 2/3rds of the California population. You will be accompanied by a staff condor biologist down the breathtaking coastal highway and locate condors using radio transceivers. Wear sturdy shoes for walking short distances on flat but uneven ground. Expect variable weather – bring layers, jacket, hat, sunglasses and water. Binoculars recommended. This trip is suitable for children. Ventana Wildlife Society www.ventanaws.org