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On Saturday, Sept. 27, 2014, the Bureau of Land Management, The Peregrine Fund and partners will release three California condors in the BLM-managed Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona. The location where the condors will be released is remote, so the BLM Arizona invites members of the public to participate in the event virtually, using social media.The condors were hatched and raised as part of the Peregrine Fund's captive breeding program at the World Center for Birds of Prey in Boise, Idaho, and transported to Arizona for the release. Located on the Colorado River Plateau in northern Arizona, the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument is a remote and unspoiled geologic treasure. The viewing site is located in a remote and rugged area nearly two miles from the condor release site, and presents a challenge for people who might want to view the release in person."The area where the condors will be released is remote, and we realize that most people will not be able to travel to the viewing location," said Kevin Wright, BLM Arizona Vermilion Cliffs National Monument Manager. “We invite people to connect to the excitement of the day's events and help us welcome the condors to their new neighborhood using social media." The annual condor release coincides with National Public Lands Day, the nation's largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance public lands. National Public Lands Day is an educational event with a focus on natural resources and the need for shared stewardship in caring for public lands."California condors are on the rise because of the work of a community of dedicated partners," said Wright. Those partners and neighbors include: BLM Arizona, The Peregrine Fund, Arizona Game and Fish Department, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Grand Canyon National Park, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kaibab National Forest, tribes and the general public. "The recovery of these amazing birds is the result of a strong partnership of a variety of neighbors who continually work together to bring the species back from the brink of extinction. So it's fitting that the release coincides with National Public Lands Day."California condors were placed on the federal endangered species list in 1967. Cooperative conservation and recovery efforts have helped the species recover from when numbers fell to just 22 condors worldwide in the 1980s. Now, 75 of the world's 439 condors live in the wild throughout northern Arizona and southern Utah. Follow the story of the condor on BLM's social media pages. Online content includes:- Welcome to the California condor neighborhood coloring page: Local artist Rachel Ivanyi has created a coloring page for children to celebrate the diverse community of people who make up the condor neighborhood. You can download the coloring sheet on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BLMArizona. Upload and tag your completed coloring page using the hashtags #CondorsOntheRise and #WelcomeCondors in the status, and we will share our favorites.- Meet our neighbors: Meet the people who contribute to condor's success on Tumblr using the hashtags #CondorsOnTheRise and #WelcomeCondors.- What makes condors special?: Learn more about condors by visiting our Condors on the Rise board on Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/mypubliclands/condors-on-the-rise. The board includes science facts, educational materials and free downloads for families and classrooms to enjoy.-Tune in to the condor channel: View videos from past condor releases and National Public Lands Day events, and learn more about our conservation and recovery efforts on our new Condors on the Rise YouTube playlist: youtube.com/BLMArizona.- Catch critter cam fever! Visit the BLM's My Public Lands Condors On the Rise album on Flickr: flickr.com/mypubliclands for beautiful photos of the condors and their new home in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. BLM also installed a new Critter Cam near the condor release site, and will post photos of the condors following the release.