In 1970 the peregrine falcon was in serious trouble due to the effects of DDT. The eastern U.S. population had been extirpated in the 1950s; western populations were severely reduced and migratory Arctic-breeding populations had also declined. Diverse efforts were undertaken to study, assist and augment remaining stocks. Earthspan principals began our standardized surveys of migratory peregrines at Assateague Island, MD/VA, while The Peregrine Fund (TPF, www.peregrinefund.org) was formed to breed peregrines in captivity and restore them to their natural ecological niche. Earthspan principals’ research evolved to encompass surveys at Padre Island, TX, Arctic breeding surveys in Greenland, development and deployment of satellite-received telemetry in tracking peregrines and other avian species, peregrine research in Alaska, Canada, Russia, Mexico and South America, amassing an archive of blood and feather samples to assess contaminants and pathogens, and public education. Meanwhile, TPF’s restoration efforts were a complete triumph and resulted in the peregrine’s removal in 1999 from the Endangered Species list. They went on to make great strides in assisting other troubled species worldwide (notably the California Condor) and in public education.
These were our peers and colleagues and, although we had separate organizations and missions, our dedication to the peregrine and our natural world united us in labors greater and far more important than ourselves. At times TPF personnel lent their talents to our surveys and we cooperated on projects. The relationship began to deepen in 2010 when we joined forces to assess effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Since that time we have found even more common ground, and in January 2019 Earthspan and TPF principals met in Boise to explore and define goals that would mutually benefit the organizations and serve the cause of conservation science, public awareness, and our planet as a whole.
The result is a Memorandum of Understanding defining a collaborative partnership between our organizations that preserves our individual identities and legacies while allowing us to apply our joint talents to projects going forward. Earthspan will contribute its five decades of unparalleled survey data sets to TPF’s Global Raptor Impact Network. TPF will assist with data analyses and resulting scientific publications, with shared authorships as appropriate. The organizations will also assist each other with fundraising through outreach and exposure to our projects.
The Earthspan family congratulates The Peregrine Fund for its many important works past and present, and is proud to call them friends and partners in service to the peregrine, science and our natural world.