Wildlife Research Institute

WRI IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION BASED IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY DEDICATED TO THE PRESERVATION OF WILDLIFE THROUGH RESEARCH, EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, COOPERATIVE WORK WITH GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES, AND LAND TRUST MANAGEMENT.

HAWK WATCH: HAWK WATCH WAS CANCELED IN 2020 DUE TO COVID. THESE EVENTS HELP THE CITIZENS AND FAIMILIES OF THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGION UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSERVING THE REMAINING GRASSLANDS IN CALIFORNIA. FURTHER, IT HELPS INSTRUCT THE CITIZENS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF HAWKS AND OWLS IN THIS ECOSYSTEM. _ POISON FREE SAN DIEGO CAMPAIGN: WRI CONTINUED THIS INITIATIVE THAT HAS EXPANDED TO PROVIDING WILDLIFE-SAFE ALTERNATIVE PEST CONTROL SOLUTIONS AS A PRODUCTS VENDOR. THE GOAL OF THIS PROGRAM IS TO EDUCATON THE PUBLIC, AGRICULTURAL FACILITES SUCH AS VINEYARDS, RANCHES AND COUNTY AGENCIES OF THE IMPORTANCE TO ADOPT A POISON FREE RESOLUTION. THIS INCLUDED RESEARCH AND TROUBLE-SHOOTING VARIOUS METHODS OF WILDLIFE-SAFE RODENT CONTROL IN ORDER TO PROVIDE FIRST-HAND ADVICE TO THE PUBLIC AS THEY EXPLORE ALTERNATIVE OPTION TO RODENTICIDES. WE ARE A COMMUNITY RESOURCE FOR THE PUBLIC TO SEEK INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE REGARDING WILDLIFE-SAFE SOLUTIONS TO PEST CONTROL. WRI ALSO CONTINUED TO DISTRIBUTE A PUBLISHED EDUCATIONAL TOOL, "TAKING THE BAIT." - MOUNTAIN LION EDUCATION: WORKING WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS, WE ARE CONTINUING TO TRACK THE QUALITATIVE STATE AND LOCATION OF MOUNTAIN LIONS (PUMA CONCOLOR) TO IDENTIFY CRITICAL CORRIDORS USING TRAIL CAMERA TECHNOLOGIES. FURTHER, WE CONTINUE TO DISTRIBUTE CRITICAL INFORMATION IN OUR PUBLISHED LITERATURE "THE LION'S SHARE" TO OUR MEMBERS. - AS PART OF GIVING TUESDAY DONATION DRIVE, WE GIFTED "SAVING OUR GOLDEN EAGLES" WRI LOGO WINE GLASSES AS A TOKEN OF MEMBER APPRECATION FOR IMPORTANT DONORS. THIS GENERATED AWARENESS OF THE NEED TO SAVE GOLDEN EAGLES AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE SUCCESSES WE HAVE PROVIDED THE WILDLIFE COMMUNITY IN THE ENDEAVORS OF OUR MISSION, ULTIMATELY PROMOTING ADDITIONAL DONATIONS. - WRI WORKED TOWARD PUBLICATION OF TWO CHAPTERS FOR AN UPCOMING BOOK ON THE GOLDEN EAGLE IN MEXICO, DETAILING HOW OUR PROJECTS AND DATA RELATE TO THE COMBINED POPULATION OF GOLDEN EAGLES ON OUR SHARED LANDSCAPE SOUTH OF THE US-MEXICAN BORDER.

GOLDEN EAGLE SURVEY PROJECT - 2020 WAS WRI'S 32ND YEAR OF EAGLE SURVEY AND MONITORING. INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION OF DRONE MONITORING. OUR MISSION STATEMENT: 1 - TO DOCUMENT PAST AND PRESENT GOLDEN EAGLE NESTS AND THEIR TERRITORIES. 2 - TO DOCUMENT PAST AND PRESENT GOLDEN EAGLE FORAGING AREAS WHICH ARE CRITICAL AREAS FO THE SUCCESS OF CURRENT AND FUTURE PAIRS OF EAGLES. 3 - TO MONITOR AND DOCUMENT THE LONG-TERM DYNAMICS OF GOLDEN EAGLE NESTING TERRITORIES INCLUDING NATURAL THREATS, THREATS FROM HUMAN DISTURBANCE, AND CHANGES OVER TIME. 4 - TO MONITOR AND DOCUMENT THE PAIRS, THEIR LIFE HISTORY AND ANY OTHER DATA WHICH MAY HELP EVALUATE THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF THE SPECIES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY AND ADJACENT AREAS. 5 - TO PROVIDE LOCAL WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AGENCIES WITH ANNUAL DOCUMENTATION OF GOLDEN EAGLE ACTIVITY. 6 - TO CONTINUE TRACKING ACTIVELY-TRANSMITTERED GOLDEN EAGLES IN OUR SATELLITE TELEMETRY TRACKING PROGRAM IN ORDER TO DETERMINE MOVEMENTS, MIGRATION, PAIR EXCHANGES/MATE LOSS, FEEDING AREAS, AND LOCATION-BASED NESTING ACTIVITY. 7 - TO PROVIDE BASELINE DATA FOR LAND PLANNERS AND MANAGERS TO EVALUATE THE MERIT OF CONSTRUCTION/DEVELOPMENT PERMITS. 8 - TO PROVIDE STATEMENTS OF FACT THAT WILL ASSIST IN HALTING LAND DEVELOPMENT AND LAND USE WHICH MIGHT DESTROY NESTING TERRITORIES IN THE FUTURE. TO DOCUMENT THE ADAPTATION OF EAGLES TO HUMAN ENCROACHMENT OR THE LACK THEREOF, SO THAT OTHER EAGLES CAN BE SAVED BEFORE WE EXTIRPATE THE BIRDS FROM SAN DIEGO COUNTY. 9 - TO DETERMINE THE NATURAL PRODUCTION OF GOLDEN EAGLES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY BY DOCUMENTING FLEDGLING SUCCESS. 10 - TO DETERMINE NEST HISTORY AND LIFE HISTORIES BY DOCUMENTING CHRONOLOGICAL INFORMATION OF GOLDEN EAGLES IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY. 11 - STARTING FORMAL COOPERATIVE ADVOCACY IN COOPERATION WITH SAN DIEGO AUDUBON TO PROTECT THE BANDY CANYON GOLDEN EAGLE TERRITORY VIA A GOLDEN EAGLE ALLIANCE OF LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS DETERMINED TO ASK THE SAN DEIGO COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION TO STOP A SEASONAL HIKING, BIKING, AND HORSEBACK RIDING TRAIL LEADING IN TO A HISTORICAL GOLDEN EAGLE TERRITORY STILL ACTIVE TODAY DURING THE FLEDGLING. - THE EAGLE FUND ENDOWMENT IS FOR THE PRESERVATION AND RESEARCH OF EAGLES AND OTHER RAPTORS. IT IS UTILIZED FOR THIS PROGRAM. SUBSTANTIAL VOLUNTEER LABOR IS UTILIZED TO MINIMIZE THE COST OF THIS PROGRAM.

THE HOBBS LAND ENDOWMENT (RENAMED DAVE BITTNER ECOLOGICAL PRESERVE IN 2021) IS TO SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND RESTORATION OF 40 ACRES OF GRASSLAND IN RAMONA, CA. THESE EXPENSES WERE USED FOR MATERIALS.