Join host Jeff Corwin as he connects with some of the most threatened and endangered animals that live underwater. First, Jeff helps conservationists save one of Florida’s most iconic species: the

Join host Jeff Corwin as he connects with some of the most threatened and endangered animals that live underwater. First, Jeff helps conservationists save one of Florida’s most iconic species: the gentle manatee. Later, Jeff comes face to face with a Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle - the most endangered sea turtle species on Earth. Finally, Jeff learns about endangered coral reefs and how biologists are racing to save them before it's too late. Video Transcript: Jeff Corwin: Our quest to connect with imperiled aquatic creatures begins on the pristine waters of the Silver River. Jeff Corwin: Just look how clean the water is here. We can see, in some cases, right to the bottom 20 plus  feet deep. We can see the various fish species milling about, big river turtles and large mouth bass, all of them sharing this vital habitat. Jeff Corwin: I'm here with Liz Neville from Defenders of Wildlife. Their mission is to help protect Florida's wetland wilderness. Jeff Corwin: This is old wild Florida, isn't it? Liz Neville: It is, Jeff. This to me is the reason to come to Florida. It's beautiful. The peace that I feel from being out here is unlike anything else. Jeff Corwin:  The Silver River flows into the mighty Ocklawaha River at the heart of the great Florida Riverway. This vast 217 mile system of rivers and springs flows north from central Florida to the Atlantic Ocean, and it's habitat for countless species, including manatees. Jeff Corwin: Manatees are typically 10 feet long and weighing upwards to a thousand pounds plus. They're curious, slow moving and spend much of their day grazing on sea grass. The greatest long term threat to manatee survival is the loss of warm water habitat. So restoring areas of natural warm water habitat will ensure that manatees will thrive into the future. Jeff Corwin: The beauty about Silver River is that it has a relatively constant temperature. So when we get those very dangerous cold snaps, which happen, here in Florida in winter, manatees can come here and survive. Jeff Corwin: Unfortunately, many manatees are cut off from places like Silver River due to manmade barriers. The Kirkpatrick Dam is a good example. It was built in the 1960s and has obstructed  the large scale migration of manatees ever since. Jeff Corwin: Restoring a free flowing Ocklawaha River will not only give manatees better access to Silver River and Silver Springs, but will also provide them with essential warm water winter habitat in many of Ocklawaha's 20 fresh water springs, which are currently not accessible due to high water levels from the dam. Jeff Corwin: The reality is there are decisions that happened decades ago that are impacting the  environmental integrity of Florida today. Liz Neville: Jeff, it's really about coexistence at the end of the day. So much of the appeal of living in Florida is the beautiful natural environment and the wildlife that we have, so the key to continuing the survival of species and also ensuring a good human quality of life is to work with nature and not against her. Jeff Corwin: The challenges that face Florida's coastline, wetlands, and waterways are a microcosm for our entire planet. Oceans provide us with an abundance of food and oxygen. They're great engines that regulate our climate and remove greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide. Wetlands act as giant filters that store and clean water. They're also a natural barrier that protect us from winds and tidal forces and provide incredible beauty, and of course, habitat for wildlife. But the watery worlds of our planet are under constant threat and many species, like Florida's iconic manatees, are struggling to survive. Jeff Corwin: In recent years, Florida waterways have seen a dramatic increase in harmful algae blooms. These algae blooms are killing other native vegetation that provide food to manatees and other species. Tragically today, more manatees are dying than any other time in Florida's recorded history. Conservationists are racing to save this keystone species before it's too late. Jeff Corwin: To help respond to the recent increase in manatee disease and mortalities, the US Fish  and Wildlife Service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are coordinating a statewide manatee rescue and rehabilitation partnership. One of these partner is the SeaWorld manatee rescue team in Orlando. They recently rehabilitated their 19th manatee this  year, a sick and emaciated female named Avana. Jeff Corwin: Over the last four months, Avana has been recovering nicely. This morning she was transferred to a temporary pool to prepare her for her incredible release back into the wild. Jeff Corwin: Four months ago, she was on death's door. She was emaciated, couldn't even swim. A village came together and rescued her. Today, she goes back to the wild where she belongs... We've hit our character limit. Leave us a comment for the rest of the transcript.

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Join host Jeff Corwin on an epic adventure to the stunning coast of California to connect with the giants of the sea: elephant seals. Jeff works alongside conservationists fighting to protect

Join host Jeff Corwin on an epic adventure to the stunning coast of California to connect with the giants of the sea: elephant seals. Jeff works alongside conservationists fighting to protect elephant seal habitats, collects important data on elephant seal migration, and helps ensure the next generation of pups are thriving. Jeff learns about the powerful connection between elephant seal mothers and babies and discovers new information about their time in the open ocean. Later, Jeff works to bring three rescued sea lions back to their homes in the wild. Video Transcript: Jeff Corwin: Today, we're on the coast of the Pacific ocean, near Los Angeles, California, helping conservationists save pinnipeds. Pinnipeds are the group of thin footed aquatic mammals that include seals, sea lions, fur seals, and walruses. Unfortunately, climate change, over fishing, and habitat laws have led to their decline. And other threats like fishing gear entanglements and ingesting plastic are on the rise. Thankfully, places like the Marine Mammal Care Center and organizations like Defenders of Wildlife are fighting to protect and rescue pinnipeds in trouble. This devoted team has given over 8,000 animals, a second chance at survival by providing critical medical treatment. I'm meeting up with hospital director, Dr. Lauren Palmer and Andy Johnson from Defenders of Wildlife. Jeff Corwin: So we have these four characters right here. These are California sea lion pups. Why are they here? What happened? Dr. Lauren Palmer: Well, these animals came in as malnourished pups a couple of months ago. One of these animals consumed this plastic bag. Fortunately, it didn't cause an obstruction. Jeff Corwin: Andy, plastics are a big obstacle to the survival of many animals, including sea lions. Andrew Johnson: They are. I mean, there's so much plastic in the ocean. And when these animals come across it, some of these animals might be starving. They'll ingest it. When these plastics are out there, they degrade in the ocean. The microplastics get into the food of the animal. So even if they don't ingest a bag, they're ingesting fish that has plastic in it. Jeff Corwin: This is a completely solvable problem, isn't it? Andrew Johnson: It's solvable, but we have to reduce our use of plastics, but it's a huge problem that it'll take a long time to fix. Jeff Corwin: But Andy, plastic trash is just one part of the challenge, isn't it? Andrew Johnson: Probably the biggest problem is climate change, so the warming of the oceans changes where the food that these animals need to survive goes. They have to travel farther to find it. And sometimes they starve. And that's why a lot of these animals are here. Jeff Corwin: But the good news, these four rambunctious, little pups were rescued. They're looking like they're ready to go. It's promising that freedom awaits, but we've got to do a little bit of an assessment. Dr. Lauren Palmer: We need to tag them and weigh them, get them out the door. Jeff Corwin: Andy I assist Dr. Palmer hurting these California sea line pumps into a squeeze box. This enclosure keeps the sea line stable and safe without having to anesthetize them. These pups get a quick weight before they're each given a flipper tag. Andrew Johnson: So with sea otters, we use a lot of different types of tags to identify the animal. What's the purpose of these tags with the sea lines? Dr. Lauren Palmer: Well, these tags provide a visual identification. And if the animal is sighted again at another location, then we can keep track of that. We know how far the animal has gone and went. Gives us an idea how well they do Jeff Corwin: These pups are looking healthy. Now it's time for the ultimate payoff. These four pups are going home. Jeff Corwin: Dr. Palmer, this moment right now, what we're about to do, this is what it's all about, isn't it? Dr. Lauren Palmer: It really is. It's a culmination of all the work we do. It's a culmination of the rescue, the rehabilitation, getting the animal better and returning them to their natural home. Jeff Corwin: So Andy, for you, your whole career has been about the conservation of marine mammals. What's this moment mean for you? Andrew Johnson: It's really important to provide actual care for these guys and get them back in the wild. They're extremely important to their ecosystem in the wild. They tell us a lot about that system and how healthy it is. We spend a lot of time doing science, doing all sorts of things, but these opportunities don't come along too often where we can help animals out, get them back in the wild. That's a really good story. Jeff Corwin: It never gets old to see creatures that were on the brink of survival, get a second chance. There ain't no going back there, buddy. Go on. Dr. Lauren Palmer: We're going to go... There you go. There you go. We've hit our character limit. Leave a comment for the rest of the transcript.

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Join host Jeff Corwin on an adventure in his home state of Massachusetts. Jeff returns to his roots to help conservationists save a collection of iconic New England wildlife, including an owl ready

Join host Jeff Corwin on an adventure in his home state of Massachusetts. Jeff returns to his roots to help conservationists save a collection of iconic New England wildlife, including an owl ready to be released. To learn more about the wildlife featured in the episode, visit www.defenders.org/wildlifenation Video Transcript: Jeff Corwin: Today, we're in my home state of Massachusetts and we're heading to the New England Wildlife Center. The center provides veterinary care to sick, injured, and orphaned wildlife from raccoons to opossums to owls, squirrels, and hawks. The dedicated staff put a lot of time and caring to rehabilitating each animal that comes through their doors. Jeff Corwin: For me, what I love about New England, specifically Massachusetts is that, Lindsay, when it comes to nature, there's so many surprises. I don't think a lot of people give New England the credit it deserves when it comes to amazing wildlife and habitat. Dr. Lindsay Rosa: They don't, Jeff and in fact, growing up here, I always thought it was wonderful I didn't have to go far across the country to a national park to see wildlife. I had bear and bobcat in my backyard.  Jeff Corwin: This is Lindsay Rosa. She's the senior conservation officer with Defenders of Wildlife, and I'm bringing her to one of my most favorite wildlife conservation centers on the planet. It is called the New England Wildlife Center. And I have worked with the New England Wildlife Center since I was about 13 or 14 years old and it has been such a joy for me to watch them grow and thrive. And their success is largely the result of the challenges that they face. Why are we having so many challenges in protecting species today? Dr. Lindsay Rosa:  The more that we continue to grow and spread from cities like Boston, the more we're encroaching into these habitats, which is why conservation comes in so many shapes and sizes and colors now from protecting a plot of land for species to doing some of the great rehabilitation work that's going on at the center. Jeff Corwin: Well, speaking of great rehabilitation work, I think you're going to love what these folks are doing. They're good friends of mine. It's going to be an amazing experience. You ready?  Dr. Lindsay Rosa: I'm ready.  Jeff Corwin: All right, let's go do it. Zachary Mertz: This guy came in about three weeks ago. He was really debilitated, just pretty dazed, stumbling from side to side, which are all hallmarks of lead poisoning.  Jeff Corwin: Did it eat the lead or was it shot?  Zachary Mertz: Very often it's trying to get a meal at the bottom of a pond, at the bottom of a lake and they accidentally eat a fishing sinker, accidentally eat an old shotgun shell. Gregory Mertz: When lead goes in the body, it circulates in the blood and it attaches to the different nerve endings  and as a result causes neurological disease.  Jeff Corwin: Lead poisoning from pollution or contamination, but especially from shotgun shell shot that has lead has had a powerful impact in wildlife, hasn't it? Dr. Lindsay Rosa:  Yeah. In fact, Jeff millions of birds every year are poisoned with lead and it's a big problem to the point that, various countries and states are now taking action and we've noticed changes and even recovery. Jeff Corwin:  So the good news is there are viable alternatives-  Dr. Lindsay Rosa: There are.  Jeff Corwin: ... that work. So what do we need to do today?  Gregory Mertz: What we want to do is get that lead to release. So we add something called calcium EDTA, and that is fairly reactive with lead itself. It will pick it up and allow it to be washed out of the body. Jeff Corwin: In order to continue the healing process the swan gets an injection of calcium EDTA. Swans, they are incredibly resilient. They can survive a dose of lead poisoning that would kill a human being, which is kind of amazing. Jeff Corwin: And finally, after making a full recovery, the swan is released back into the same lake where it was found. We've had an incredible time helping out at the New England Wildlife Center. There's one final animal ready to be released back into the wild, this beautiful barn owl. Lindsay, Greg and I are releasing it into a protected habitat. Jeff Corwin:  Lindsay, why do you think a moment like this is important?  Dr. Lindsay Rosa: This habitat as well as most across the nation, we share it with our wildlife neighbors and really we have to be mindful about what we're doing. We know that lead and rodenticide are poisonous. We all have to keep our wildlife neighbors safe.  Jeff Corwin: You can't protect what you do not love, and you'll never love it if you don't get to meet it and that's why we go in these journeys. So are you ready, Lindsay, to do this? Dr. Lindsay Rosa: I'm ready, Jeff. Jeff Corwin: 3, 2, 1. Oh, there it goes... We hit our character limit. Leave us a comment for the rest of the transcript!

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Join host Jeff Corwin on an epic adventure across the Great Plains of the United States on a mission to understand the connection between the incredible species that call it home. First, Jeff travels

Join host Jeff Corwin on an epic adventure across the Great Plains of the United States on a mission to understand the connection between the incredible species that call it home. First, Jeff travels to the Canadian border to help Native American tribes re-establish bison across tribal lands. Jeff learns how ancient bison herds once shaped the Great Plains and how modern conservationists are fighting to bring those herds back. Later, Jeff works with biologists to manage a delicate population of black-footed ferrets, a species once believed to be extinct. Jeff discovers how wild bison play a vital role in ferret survival and the survival of the Great Plains themselves. Video transcript: Jeff Corwin: Welcome to Northeast Montana, home of the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian community. I'm with Jonathan Proctor, from Defenders of Wildlife. It's now about minus nine. Look at our backdrop, we've got American bison. John, they are forever interconnected to this ecosystem. Jonathan Proctor: Yes, this is one of the most important keystone species in the entire Great Plains. This species had an outsized importance, numerous impacts on the environment that benefited a whole host of other wildlife. Jeff Corwin: The bison behind us are descendants of a great and ancient herd, over 30 million animals that moved like a living wave across North America. But this species was nearly wiped out with the western expansion of America and industrial hunting. The deliberate mass slaughter of bison was devastating to the Great Plains, and especially to the native tribes that depended upon them as a food and cultural resource. Tragically, at the start of the 20th century, fewer than 1000 American bison were left alive. Jonathan Proctor: The loss of the bison historically, about a hundred years ago, had ripple effects throughout the entire Great Plains. All of the predators and scavengers that depended on the bison for food disappeared as a result. Bison graze down the grass, which benefit prairie dogs, and so many other species depend on prairie dogs. So when the bison were removed, the whole system unraveled. Jeff Corwin: So, the big challenge we face is to reintegrate them into the ecosystem because this environment, the prairie needs the bison. Jonathan Proctor: To achieve that goal, we need to restore at least 10 large bison herds back to the Great Plains. When we get to that level, we will have truly saved the bison and the environment that it once evolved in and helped create. Jeff Corwin: Leading the charge is the Intertribal Buffalo Council, a group of 76 native tribal communities working to establish new and wild bison herds across the Great Plains. This morning, Robbie Magnan and his team are moving 56 bison from Montana to their new home in Oklahoma. Robbie, for the many tribal communities, bison are so very important, even today. Robbie Magnan: Yes, that's very much so. They're helping us restore our culture, because they've always been part of our culture. And now, we have our opportunity to reconnect with them and restore our culture with them. Jeff Corwin: But here's the thing, we can't get these bison to Oklahoma until we corral them, and that my friends, is going to be a challenge. You ready to do this? Robbie Magnan: Yeah. Jeff Corwin: All right, let's go. Speaker 4: All right, look sharp, stay together. Jeff Corwin: So, what is the plan, Robbie? Robbie Magnan: The buffalo are in a temporary holding pen that we have to round them up. Sometimes it's not so easy. Follow me! Jeff Corwin: Woo, hold on. So you can kind of see what we're trying to do, right here. It's a little bit of chaos, organized chaos. And what we're trying to do is move them into the corral, make sure they're healthy, and then share them with another Native American community. Ooh. Robbie Magnan: You okay? Jeff Corwin: Yeah. Ooh, rock. Rock. Robbie Magnan: Take what you got. Take what you got, guys. Take what you got! Speaker 5: Here they come. Jeff Corwin: Okay, so we didn't get the whole herd, but we've got about half the herd, right here. We're moving them down this quarter and into the corral they go. Robbie, who do I invoice my chiropractor bill to? Now that we've got almost half the herd into the pen, Robbie guides them into a series of smaller quarters. Here, they can be individually identified and have their final health checks before their trip to Oklahoma. Robbie Magnan: Okay, get in there. Jeff Corwin: All right, all right, there we go. We've hit our character limit. Leave a comment for the rest of the transcript.

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Join host Jeff Corwin as he connects with a collection of amazing mammals that face difficult conservation challenges. First, Jeff travels into the remote forests of New England to help care for a

Join host Jeff Corwin as he connects with a collection of amazing mammals that face difficult conservation challenges. First, Jeff travels into the remote forests of New England to help care for a rowdy group of orphaned baby black bears. Jeff learns about bear conservation and discovers the unique and friendly behaviors bear cubs have towards each other. Later, Jeff travels to Florida to meet orphaned baby manatees. Jeff learns about the threats to manatee habitat and what biologists are doing to save them. Finally, Jeff assists veterinarians to help two adorable opossums heal from their wounds and return to the forest. Video Transcript: Jeff Corwin: Mammals come in splendid variety, from the massive blue whale to the tiny deer mouse. Nearly all mammal mothers have live birth and all produce milk for feeding their young. At least some part of their bodies are typically covered with hair or fur at some point in their lives, and all mammals are endotherms, which means they can generate heat to maintain their warm-blooded body temperatures. Jeff Corwin: But tragically, today, nearly one quarter of all mammals are threatened with extinction, including at least 65 species in the United States alone. Scientists have estimated the total mass of all mammals on earth. They discovered that human beings make up 34% of this biomass, domesticated mammals account for 62%, which means only the remaining 4% are wild species. In the forests of New England, wild American black bears live in close proximity to humans. These bears are constantly threatened by pollution, vehicles and habitat loss, and black bear cubs are increasingly becoming orphaned. Jeff Corwin: Today, I'm visiting the Kilham Bear Center, where some of these bear cubs are given a second chance of survival.   Jeff Corwin: So this very precocious, absolutely adorable black bear cub is Marlow. This is Ethan Kilham and essentially Ethan, you are Marlow's stepmom, aren't you? Ethan Kilham: Yes. I'm the primary caregiver for the cubs, so basically I'm trying to be the best facsimile to a mother bear that I can be, so I'm feeding them, I'm introducing them to wild foods, wild things from the environment, stuff that they can play with. Jeff Corwin: Hi Marlow, no nibble. No, that's not ... No, please. No, Marlow, no. So your instinct is to interact, but we don't want to interact. We want this bear to discover that human beings aren't a  part of his future success in life, right, Ethan? Ethan Kilham: Right. Jeff Corwin: We want him to be wild. Ethan Kilham: He'll be released at about 18 months of age and then he'll have all the tools to be a perfectly wild bear. Jeff Corwin: Marlow, what are you doing? Marlow, please get off the cameraman. Jeff Corwin: Marlow is still too young to be released, but today is a special day for two cubs named Flower and Dover. Today, they're going back in the wild and that's what we are about to do right now. For both our safety and the safety of these cubs, Flower and Dover will need to be sedated. To do this, Ryan will use a long pole fitted at the end with a small syringe of fast-acting sedative. Jeff Corwin: So what Ryan needs to do is get close to these bears, give them a quick poke, they'll go to sleep and all will be good. Jeff Corwin: No one likes getting a shot, especially a bear cub. Jeff Corwin: Success, Ryan? Ryan Smith: I think so. Jeff Corwin: Going to wait until he starts to get a little tipsy, which he is right now. We want to be there so when the bear goes to sleep, he doesn't fall and hurt itself.  Jeff Corwin: The sedative works very fast and makes Flower a little dizzy, but don't worry. We won't let him get hurt.  Jeff Corwin: There we go. There we go.  Jeff Corwin: We take Flower outside where the wildlife team will give him his final checkup. Jeff Corwin: So our first bear is nicely situated. Now let's go get the next bear. Jeff Corwin: All right. Okay. Now it's time for bear number two. Ryan's going to get in position. Thankfully, Dover's found a little corner to curl up in, so getting him outside will be much easier. Jeff Corwin: All right, if you just lower it down. Okay. I got him. All right. They are just such beautiful, beautiful creatures, so precious, such an important part of our wild legacy and to be a part of this program, it's amazing. Jeff Corwin: So what we have to remember is that these bears are no longer in control in the way their head is angled, their airway has opened or closed, and we have to constantly be vigilant to make sure these creatures aren't overheating, aren't stressed and are sleeping safe and sound. The team carefully records the cubs' temperatures, heart rate and size, what we call biometrics. Finally, it's time to give these cubs a small tag on each ear so they can be identified in the future... We've hit our character limit. Please leave us a comment for the rest of the transcript.

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Join host Jeff Corwin on an adventure across America to help save California condors and Massachusetts saltmarsh sparrows. First, Jeff travels to the spectacular coastline of Big Sur, California, to

Join host Jeff Corwin on an adventure across America to help save California condors and Massachusetts saltmarsh sparrows. First, Jeff travels to the spectacular coastline of Big Sur, California, to the renowned condor sanctuary of the Ventana Wildlife Society. Jeff helps prepare young condors for their new life in the wild and learns about how condors shape their environment - and how the environment shapes them. Later, Jeff travels to his home state to work alongside the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Wildlife on a mission to save a unique species of bird that only lives in salt marsh habitats of the East Coast. Video Transcript: Jeff Corwin: Our adventure begins along the central coast of the great state of California. Here, the Santa Lucia mountains rise from the Pacific ocean in a region named Big Sur. This pristine and undeveloped coastline has been described as one of the most stunning meeting points of land and sea on the planet. Circling high above is the mighty California condor. Today, the presence of wild California condors above the cliffs of this coastal state is a miracle of modern conservation.  Jeff Corwin: Look at that. Is that adult or sub-adult? Pamela Flick: Well, because we can see the white wing patch under the wing, that would be an adult condor that we see right now. Jeff Corwin: Now. So that's at least five or six years old. Pamela Flick: At least. Yeah. Jeff Corwin: Incredible. My friends, this is Pam Flick. She is of course, with Defenders of Wildlife. And what makes the story of the California condor is so remarkable? Pamela Flick: Well, Jeff, I think it's a special story because it's one of hope and one that demonstrates that it truly takes a village to save a species from extinction. Jeff Corwin: This is North America's largest flying bird. It's got nearly a 10 foot wing span, it's weighing 20 pounds plus in size. It takes a lot to keep these birds alive, doesn't it? Pamela Flick: It does. They can range over 200 miles in a single day on foraging missions. They need a lot of habitat. Jeff Corwin: So today we can come along this coast and have this spectacular moment. But this was a species that was in true jeopardy, wasn't it? Pamela Flick: Absolutely. In 1982, the entire population of California condors was just 22 individuals. At the time, the decision was made to pull all the condors from the wild to start a captive breeding program. Jeff Corwin: But they're a complex creature. It takes years and years for an adult to get to that point where it can replace itself. Pamela Flick: Yeah, at least six years. And that's one of the problems because they have such a slow population growth and they only breed once every two to three years and they only lay one egg per breeding attempt. Jeff Corwin: So Pam, how many condors do we have today? Pamela Flick: Well, the entire population in the world is roughly 500, and of that, about 300 are free flying today here in the central coast of California, in the mountains of Southern California in Baja, Mexico, Arizona, and Utah. And there are plans to reintroduce condors to the Yurok ancestral lands in Northwestern California within the next year.  Jeff Corwin: That's amazing. Jeff Corwin: Condors have been pulled from the brink of extinction, but the work has just begun. From the famous Pacific Coast Highway One, we're traveling to a protected mountain peak high above the clouds.  Well friends, get ready. You're about to experience one of my most favorite conservation projects in North America. We are working with the Ventana Wildlife Society. Their mission is to save what I consider the ambassador of the California sky. The Ventana Wildlife Society currently monitors more than 100 condors and 10 active breeding pairs. Today, senior biologist, Joe Burnett, and his team are preparing the next generation of condors for their new lives in the wild. Jeff Corwin: Joe, so what is our mission today? Joe Burnett: Today, we're going to get these tags on the birds. So this is how we'll visually identify each individual out in the field with this color number combination. But our first step, we got to get them in the nets and catch them. So let's go do it. Jeff Corwin: All right, let's go do it. This is going to be fun. Jeff Corwin: We enter an area called the flight cage. There are nine juvenile condors in this enclosure and all of them are the product of active breeding programs. Jeff Corwin: What we're trying to do is carefully trying to corral the condor. We don't want to stress it out. Jeff Corwin: But we can only work with one at a time.  Jeff Corwin: Look at the size of this bird. It's just amazing. This is a very young bird we're. Right now it has  probably an eight foot wing span. Just incredible.   Jeff Corwin: For this team, the safety of each condor is the highest priority. Jeff Corwin: I got a good grip... We've hit our character limit. Leave us a comment for the rest of the transcript.

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Jeff Corwin begins in the historic city of Boston to help aid the recovery of peregrine falcons with Defenders of Wildlife staff. To learn more about the wildlife featured in the episode, visit

Jeff Corwin begins in the historic city of Boston to help aid the recovery of peregrine falcons with Defenders of Wildlife staff. To learn more about the wildlife featured in the episode, visit www.defenders.org/wildlifenation Video Transcript: Jeff Corwin: For today's adventure, we're heading to my home state of Massachusetts and a place called Deer Island in the middle of Boston Harbor.  This island is the location of a state of the art  massive wastewater treatment plant that cleans over 1200 million gallons of wastewater every day. It's also home for a family of peregrine falcons, the fastest animals on earth, capable of  reaching speeds of more than 200 miles an hour.   Jeff Corwin: I'm with Jacob Malcolm. He's the director of Defenders of Wildlife's Center for Conservation Innovation. So basically, you guys are trying to figure out how you integrate technology with policy and environmental stewardship to make it work. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: Yep. It's one of the most exciting parts about my work, is the fact that we get to work on solutions. It's really overlooked often that we do have lots of opportunities to do more for wildlife. Jeff Corwin: The peregrine falcons that live here are a perfect example of this. In the wild, falcons typically build their nests on high cliffs. So to give this species a helping hand in a dense urban environment, the Massachusetts Department of Fisheries and Wildlife have teamed up with the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority to put a special nesting box at the top of this 130 foot tall filtration tank. For a family of peregrine falcons, this is the perfect penthouse. Jeff Corwin: I mean, that's kind of amazing, right? With a little bit of ingenuity and a little bit of environmental  stewardship, you can find that balance where creatures like the ultimate bird of prey can share a habitat that also belongs to human beings. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: The fact that we're here to band some peregrine falcons at a wastewater treatment facility with Boston right there just goes to prove it. Jeff Corwin: Jacob is a wildlife biologist, but you've never banded a peregrine falcon. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: I have not. Jeff Corwin: You ready? Dr. Jacob Malcolm: I'm ready. Jeff Corwin: All right, let's do it. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: Let's do it. Jeff Corwin:  In one of the most successful conservation stories in the history of our country, peregrine falcons were brought back from the brink of extinction, thanks to decades of hard work by dedicated people and organizations. To keep track of this species' recovery, biologists place small identification bands around the legs of every falcon chick they find. Today, we're helping wildlife biologist, Dave Paulson, and his team from the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to band the falcon chicks that live at the top of this tower. Jeff Corwin: But first, we'll need to face some strong winds and some very devoted and determined parents. Dave Paulson: Now, Jeff, be real careful with this. Jeff Corwin: Be real careful. Wow. Jeff Corwin: As soon as we open the door, we see her, a mother peregrine falcon, ready to protect her nest and her offspring at any cost.  As soon as we remove the guardrails and step onto the catwalk... Dave Paulson: She's coming right in for you. Jeff Corwin: She begins to dive bomb our team with incredible speed. Dave Paulson: Coming in hot. She's coming in from below. Come on go right to the box. Jeff Corwin:  This right here is a nesting box for a peregrine falcon. Dave Paulson: She's getting close, getting close, getting close. Jeff Corwin: Above us we have two very, very devoted, I would say slightly aggressive. Dave Paulson: Yep. Jeff Corwin: Peregrine falcons. They're a bonded pair. And this female, she wants us to have nothing to do with her next generation, what for her is the most precious thing in the world. Dave Paulson: I know everyone's focused on her, but if someone wants to keep a peripheral open for or the other one. Dave Paulson: Right up there. Jeff Corwin: We got to be very careful. We're being dive bombed by these parents. And it's a long way down. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: It is. Jeff Corwin: So inside we have... Ah, look at that. We have these. Oh my gosh. Look at this. Look at that. Dr. Jacob Malcolm: It's fantastic. Gigantic eye, sharp beak, great talons. Built for speed and flight. Jeff Corwin: Just take a moment to reflect at what we're doing. We're holding a species that in this part of  the world was extinct for almost 30 years. Today we have 50 pairs successfully surviving and breeding. Dave Paulson: Correct, 50 known pairs here in Massachusetts. And the big thing here is most of these aren't  on natural cliff sites. You're talking buildings, bridges, quarries. They've really take  to the developed landscape really well. We've hit our character limit. Leave us a comment for the rest of the transcript.

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