Partnership to provide peregrine falcon education resources

LINCOLN, Nebraska — A new set of resources available to teachers in eastern Nebraska highlights the recovery of the peregrine falcon, a bird of prey pushed to the brink of extinction.

A new partnership between the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and Omaha Public Power District aims to bring this conservation success story to students through new education resources, including:

• A detailed poster highlighting the family tree of 93T, a well-known and long-lived peregrine falcon who was integral to the recovery program for the species; and
• Lesson plans focusing on adaptations, or how the falcon changed over time to adapt to a shifting environment; population dynamics, or how and why the population size changes in size and structure over time; research skills; and creative writing.

The poster is filled with fun facts and beautiful drawings designed to educate students about the species, their recovery and life history. The lesson plans and poster can be requested at OutdoorNebraska.org/PeregrineFalcons.

“We’re excited to be able to work with OPPD to provide teachers with Nebraska-specific educational resources,” said Lindsay Rogers with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. “We recognize that these educational resources are critical to developing a conservation-minded community.”

The peregrine falcon was added to the endangered species list in 1972, but today is thriving because of extensive conservation efforts that helped foster their growth in numbers.

The bird has become popular in homes across the state as two live video streams — one at the Nebraska State Capitol and one at the Omaha Public Power District’s North Omaha power plant — allow Nebraskans to watch the peregrine falcon nesting pairs from afar. More than 3 million people have tuned into watch OPPD’s “Falcon Cam” via Facebook and YouTube so far this year alone. View the livestream at www.oppd.com/environment.

“Partnering with Game and Parks on the peregrine falcon project is just one example of OPPD’s commitment to our environment,” said Chris Vrtiska, Natural & Wildlife Resources specialist for OPPD. “We believe in doing more than required of us to protect and enhance our environment, and this is one way we can make a difference with our customers and the next generation.”

Updated Sept. 16, 2021, to correct typographical error.