Winner of the National Christopher Award Winner of the Oregon Book Award From 1970 to 1999 the American peregrine falcon was on the U.S. endangered species list, and many doubted it would survive. Marcy Cottrell Houle was a young woman wildlife biologist observing one of the last remaining pairs--located at an Ancestral Puebloan archaeological site in southwest Colorado, slated for development as a major tourist site. First published in 1991 and the winner of several national awards, Wings for My Flight chronicles her work at Chimney Rock along with the recovery of the species. In a new afterword, Houle examines the last thirty years of the peregrine population and its remarkable comeback, culminating with President Barack Obama's designation of Chimney Rock as a national monument.
Marcy Cottrell Houle is a wildlife biologist and award-winning author. She is the author of eight books, including The Prairie Keepers: Secrets of the Zumwalt, A Generous Nature, and The Gift of Caring.
"A testimony to the powerful way that story communicates science, compels understanding, and drives change. Through her devotion to a single species--the peregrine falcon--Marcy Cottrell Houle provides a revealing window into our connection with all of nature. This book is a compelling reminder of the vigilant courage that is necessary to advance essential conservation efforts."--Paula J. Ehrlich, president and CEO of E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation "This is a coming-of-age story of a woman wildlife biologist working with an indifferent, sometimes hostile, U.S. Forest Service. . . . A scientist, a nature writer, and an acute observer of both raptor and human behavior, Marcy Cottrell Houle has written a moving personal memoir of a special time and place in the American West. She chronicles the fastest bird in the world, brought back from the brink of extinction."--Andrew Gulliford, author of Lonesome Landscapes: Stories from National Conservation Lands "While her notes on the family life of these magnificent birds are authoritative and interesting, Houle also recounts the human story of the hostility, danger, sexism, misunderstanding, acceptance, and ultimately, love that she encountered from the local people. . . . Highly recommended on several levels, as science, sociology, or a story."--Henry T. Armistead, Library Journal "With the Endangered Species Act now under attack from the federal government, this beautiful book--testimony to the power of people and policy working together for the good of all creation--has never been more needed!"--Bill McKibben, author of Here Comes the Sun
