Palisade

Palisade is a unique member of our education team as she didn't first come to us due to an injury or illness. She was actually part of a breeding program at Stillwater Area High School in Stillwater, Minnesota by falconer and biology teacher Andy Weaver. He incorporates this breeding program into the curriculum of his students so they can learn about biology and conservation.

Peregrine falcon populations plummeted due to the chemical DDT throughout the 1940s to the 1970s, and were wiped out from much of their original range. Thanks to conservation efforts, regulation changes, and breeding programs like the one Palisade came from, peregrine falcon numbers are recovering and these birds are reclaiming lost territory.

Palisade is named after Palisade Head, a large rock formation along the North Shore of Lake Superior where peregrine falcons have famously nested in Minnesota. Peregrines make nests called scrapes, which are simple depressions in gravel or rock high up on cliff edges. In urban areas, ledges on tall buildings and skyscrapers fill this geographical need. Peregrine falcons now call many cityscapes home.