HARRISBURG, PA — The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) invites teachers, non-formal educators, homeschoolers and youth group and scout leaders to attend a free Peregrine Falcon Educator’s Workshop, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Tuesday, April 5 in the second floor auditorium of the Rachel Carson State Office Building. The workshop is sponsored by DEP and the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) in cooperation with ZooAmerica–North American Wildlife Park and the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Since 1997, peregrine falcons have made a nest on a ledge off the 15th floor of the Rachel Carson State Office Building their home. Three high-definition cameras chronicle the famous Harrisburg falcons through the live Falcon Cam for viewers around the world. In Pennsylvania, peregrine falcons, a Pennsylvania endangered species, were absent from the state in the early 1960s as a result of use of the pesticide DDT.

While peregrine falcons were extremely rare for many years, through reintroduction programs, they have adapted to life in cities like Harrisburg, Reading, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Williamsport. The Rachel Carson nest site has been very productive, with 58 young peregrine falcons produced since 2000.