The lead field biologist for the Wildlife Service’s Condor Recovery Program, Joseph Brandt is a larger-than-life character – literally. Passionate and at the same time pragmatic about building a self-sustaining wild condor population, Joseph is one of those exceptional individuals that relishes the gritty challenges found in biological field work. As condors never nest anywhere convenient to humans, Joseph's extensive background in rock climbing is used routinely in his job. If you ever thought it would be fun to be a biologist, you'll appreciate Joseph Brandt. A taskmaster and arguably the exact kind of personality that makes a recovery program like that for the condors possible.

A graduate of the University of Oregon. Joseph has worked with grizzly bears in Montana, sea birds on the Columbia River and with penguins below the equator. He became enamored with the condor as a seasonal biologist with the Ventana Wildlife Society in Big Sur, California.  After a stint in Southern Chile ("...just me, two Chileanos and one-hundred thousand penguins") he took a biologist position with the California Condor Recovery Program in 2006 and manages the field program today.