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Tiana Williams-Claussen

Baywood Golf and Country Club

On Thursday, March 14, at noon at the Baywood Golf and Country Club, Humboldt ERFSA, the Emeritus Retired Faculty and Staff Association will present Tiana Williams-Claussen, Director of the Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department, will present on the history and current status of California condor, the species cultural importance to the Yurok people, the Yurok Tribe’s leadership and 20-year effort to bring them home to Yurok and surrounding country, and next steps for condor recovery in the north coast region.

Tiana Williams-Claussen is a member of the Yurok Tribe and was raised in Klamath, CA on the Yurok Reservation. She received her BA in Biochemical Sciences from Harvard University, returned to serve her tribe, and is currently pursuing a Master of Sciences in Natural Resources from California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt. Instrumental to the formation of the Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department, which was started with the goal of California condor recovery to Yurok territory, she currently serves as the Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department Director.
Her team’s work includes successful reintroduction of California condor to Yurok country, in coordination with the Redwood National and State Parks and within Redwood National Park boundaries; development of holistic and sustainable Tribal Forest and land management approaches for habitat restoration; and serving as a conduit for integrating traditional knowledge from the Yurok community into Yurok government’s wildlife management. Her native upbringing and formal education allow her to bridge the gap between traditional understandings of the world, and those rooted in Western science, supporting a cohesive, well-informed approach to ecosystem management.
The first releases occurred in May 2022. By July of 2023, satellite information showed that the first group of eight reintroduced California condors spent their first night on the Yurok Reservation near the Klamath River. While many people have reported fly-overs of the birds, known as prey-go-neesh in the Yurok language, it was a first for the recently released animals to roost at Klamath overnight.

The first condors were brought back to their historic range a couple of years ago through the Northern California Condor Restoration Program. The Yurok Tribe led the effort with Redwood National and State Park; the Tribe’s wildlife department runs the condor release facility. Other condors were released later in singles and pairs.

“The first cohort, had the hardest job of any of the birds that are going to come after, here, because they don’t have an existing flock to integrate with,” said Tiana Williams-Claussen. This was the most nerve-wracking part for her, she said, as the birds who’d never really flown outside before had to move into a brand-new landscape with no teachers showing them the ropes. Said Williams-Claussen recently, “We have a total of 11 birds flying free right now, including 4 females and 7 males, and expect 5-7 additional birds this summer.”

Find out more about this exciting and important project by attending the next Humboldt-ERFSA Luncheon Presentation on March 14. All in-person guests at these lectures should be fully COVID-19 vaccinated and may wear masks while attending. Meet and greets begin at 11:30 a.m. Various foods and beverages can be ordered for lunch from Baywood’s regular menu; please arrive early to order lunch. The presentation will commence at noon.
Everyone is invited to these presentations; you need not be retired, a member of Humboldt ERFSA, or purchase lunch. The ERFSA lecture series is open to the North Coast community. If you are retired faculty or staff of Cal Poly Humboldt, please consider joining our organization. Find more information at erfsa.humboldt.edu.

DATES/TIMES

WHERE

• Baywood Golf and Country Club

PRICE

• Free