C.G.P.
Condor's Guardians and Protectors
All about C.G.P.
Our goal
Rick Walker
The Magnificent Condors
The Inspiration
Not only did Rick connect to the birds in such a meaningful way, but the condors had influenced Rick's life completely. Before Rick spent time with the condors, his life was a mess: "A maze was nothing new to him. He'd been trapped in one for a long, long time," (59). He never knew what to do next or where to go. When his Grandma died, Rick thought of living alone. But where would he go? When Rick was serving his sentence in Blue Canyon Youth Detention Center, he thought of escaping. But what would he do after? It was as if, "His life was nothing but an endless succession of dead ends," (41). He was lost and had nowhere to go or anyone to help him along the way.
However, that all changed when Rick met Lon and learned about the condors. Right from his first day, Rick had realized he was passionate about condors. He was always very intrigued when Lon taught him about the condors and always got excited when they were studying the birds. The condors gave Rick a passion or an idea of how he wanted to spend his life. When one of the condors, Maverick, was killed by pothunters that Rick realized he wanted to dedicate his life to saving these condors: "He focused all his anger and all his hate on them. He only wished there was a way to avenge the condor on them," (144). The condors gave Rick something to live for and stand up for, and they helped him discover who he was as a person. After struggling for fourteen years, these birds had helped Rick find his way: "I'm out of that maze now, sir. I'm free to make something of myself," (225). That "something" was to join forces with Lon and help rebuild the condor population. The great connection with condors, as well as the great impact they had on Rick's life, is what inspired him to start the C.G.P. foundation. And our world has benefited from it.