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May 21, 2011
FORESTWATCH VOLUNTEERS
CLEAN UP FRAZIER MOUNTAIN SUMMIT
TO PROTECT ENDANGERED CONDORS
Small Bits of
Plastic, Broken Glass, and Bullet Shells Are One of the Leading
Causes of Death of Young California Condors
Ventura County – Sixteen dedicated ForestWatch volunteers
traveled to the northeastern corner of Ventura County today,
climbing to an elevation over 8,000 feet to help endangered
California condors. The summit of Frazier Mountain has been
identified as a high priority for microtrash removal by condor
biologists and ForestWatch has been attempting to organize a
cleanup of the site for almost a
 year,
battling unpredictable weather
in their attempt to get
volunteers
to the location.
The summit of Frazier Mountain hosts the very first fire lookout
tower built on the Los Padres. Sadly, the tower has fallen into
disrepair, its glass windows the target of vandalism and harsh
weather. In fact, all of the tower's glass windows had
been shattered over the years, leaving small bits of glass
scattered around the site and creating a danger for condors (and
people). Volunteers spent three hours cleaning the location,
leaving with more than 170 pounds of microtrash!
Microtrash (small bits of debris like bottle caps, rags, screws,
bolts, wires, and glass) is one of the leading threats to the
recovery of the California condor. Condors, curious by nature,
are attracted to microtrash, and often ingest it or bring it
back to their nests, where condor chicks swallow the small
pieces. Microtrash is not digestible and is fatal unless it's
surgically removed.
Stomach contents of a
California condor. Photo courtesy USFWS.
Thanks to our volunteers, the summit of Frazier Mountain is now
trash-free and hopefully will remain so into the foreseeable
future.
Microtrash Cleanups To Date
Los Padres ForestWatch has been working with condor biologists
and our wonderful volunteers to conduct microtrash cleanups
since 2007. Almost 200 volunteers have contributed a combined
1,000 hours of their time for the protection of the California
condor, hauling 1,650 pounds of trash off our national forest.
Please consider getting involved! We would love to have you out
on our next cleanup event.
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