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Boreal Community Media

Tettegouche celebrates 30 years of peregrine falcons

May 31, 2018 09:32PM ● By Editor

Tettegouche State Park in Silver Bay will present a series of peregrine falcon-themed events in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the first post-recovery nesting of peregrines on Palisade Head in 1988. Various events will take place at Tettegouche throughout June with guest artists and speakers and with live falcons.

By the early 1970s, wild peregrine falcons were all but wiped out in most of North America, due to humans impacts including the use of the insecticide DDT. After the banning of DDT, captive peregrines were bred and the resulting young were hand-reared on cliffs, with men and women repelling down the side to feed the young birds.

In 1988, the cliffs at Palisade Head, a part of Tettegouche, were home to the first wild peregrine nesting in the Midwest, post-recovery.

Events include:

7-8:30 p.m., June 1 — Artist reception for a month-long, invitational group show featuring peregrine falcons, live music and hors d'oeuvres.

• 9 a.m. to noon, June 16 — "Falcons and Other Birds: A Photography Workshop." Wildlife photographer Ryan Pennesi will be on hand to guide participants in photographing several species of captive falcons as well as wild songbirds birds of the park. There is no fee, but participants should register ahead of time by calling the park.

• 1-3 p.m. June 16 — "Thirty Years of Peregrines." Guest speakers and pioneers in the peregrine recovery efforts will be on hand to talk about peregrines' past, present and future.

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