Jackie Fallon

Jackie Fallon is an environmental educator, biologist, and wildlife consultant located in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area in Minnesota. Ms. Fallon earned a B.A. in Biology from Cornell College in Mt. Vernon, Iowa with a focus on animal behavior. She worked in the zookeeping field for over 30 years, focusing her efforts on wildlife conservation, education and improving captive management of wildlife.

During her career within the zookeeping field, Ms. Fallon discovered a passion for captive wildlife management and implementing restoration plans for endangered species. She has experience with a variety of taxon including marine mammals, large hoofstock, reptiles, carnivores, and birds, and developing a strong relationship with other raptor and canid experts throughout the world. She was a scientific advisor to the 2010 AZA Education Award program Wolf Quest, an interactive web-based game, which strives to foster an appreciation not only for wolves, but for all wildlife and ecosystems. She is the Education Advisor to the Mexican Gray Wolf Species Survival Plan, working closely with various state, federal and private organizations to ensure the survival of North America’s most endangered wolf. She is also a husbandry advisor to the Burrowing Owl Species Survival Plan, assisting captive facilities in improved management and training protocols for the species. In 2003, she was invited to be a member of the IUCN Conservation Planning Specialist Group (CPSG), which focuses on increasing the effectiveness of conservation efforts worldwide. For over 40 years, CPSG has provided species conservation planning expertise by bringing people together with diverse perspectives and knowledge to implement positive change for conservation throughout the globe.

In 1988, Ms. Fallon began her career as a field biologist with the Midwest Peregrine Society, the organization responsible for peregrine falcon restoration in 13 states and 2 Canadian provinces in the Upper Midwest. Based on her extensive experience and knowledge, she became the VP of Field Operations in 2005 for the program, monitoring and managing over 50 peregrine territories in the region. She also acts as an advisor to other state coordinators in the region, offering advice and support in managing a recovered population in the 21st Century, and mitigating conflict. In addition to peregrine falcon research, she also assists with gray wolf field studies in her home state of Minnesota, Yellowstone National Park, and the Mexican wolf recovery program in Arizona and New Mexico.

In 2021, Ms. Fallon formally joined the Mayo Clinic team as a naturalist, program representative, and advisor. Developing educational materials and raising awareness in the community as to the value of nature by celebrating the peregrine story is a focal point of her role at Mayo. Annually, she shares her passion for peregrines with over 50,000 people of all ages, helping to share the vision and mission of Mayo Clinic through nature. Jackie enjoys photography, cooking, falconry, and basically anything outdoors.