YYC welcomes FALCON Environmental to the field

In September this year, we awarded the Wildlife Control and Management Services contract to FALCON Environmental Inc. (FALCON). Their team of two joined YYC to expand the airport’s wildlife program, and to predict and prevent wildlife hazards on the airfield. For the next five years, FALCON will be growing the program working closely with the Airfield Operations Specialists (AOS), and eventually taking full responsibility for these duties. These duties include:

• avian and mammal management and dispersal
• raptor trapping
• wildlife strike investigations
• habitat management recommendations
• developing the Airport Wildlife Management Plan (AWMP)

Staff Intro

Rachel Greene (B. Sc. Biology) is FALCON’s Site Supervisor at YYC. She has been working as a Wildlife Control Officer and Biologist with FALCON for five years and has extensive wildlife mitigation experience using a variety of dispersal techniques, including the use of pyrotechnics, firearms, falconry, decoys, distress calls, trapping and flying drones. She has been trapping and banding birds of prey to study the efficiency of airport’s tag and relocation program, and currently possesses a sub-bander permit from Environment Canada. Rachel has been involved in many studies and projects at or about airports across Canada. She was involved in the creation of over 30 Airport Wildlife Management Plans for both large and small airports, such as Toronto Pearson and Billy Bishop, and over 20 plans for the Ministry of Transportation’s northern airports.

Stephanie Mueller is FALCON’s Airport Wildlife Specialist at YYC. She has experience working with problem wildlife and conserving at risk species in parks. Stephanie also has bird banding, pyrotechnic, and tranquilizer gun experience gained during her studies at Lethbridge College. She has her Natural Resource Compliance Diploma and is working to complete her Conservation Enforcement Degree.