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Spring Update
As we recover from a year of record snowfall and look for the first signs of spring, we are reassured by the return of Sandhill Cranes to southern Wisconsin, and in particular, a pair of cranes exploring our own Gromme marsh as a possible nesting site.
As the last five members of the Ultralight Class of 2007 Whooping Cranes departed Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge on April 1, 2008, we want to recognize a great effort by the Winter Management and Tracking Teams led by ICF Aviculturist Sara Zimorski and our U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service colleague, Richard Urbanek.
Both team efforts were well supported by our Crew Chief Anna Fasoli and Tracking Interns Eva Szyszkoski and Colleen Wisinski.
Of special note is the fact that once the initial health checks were completed, the young cranes did not spend a single night inside the top-netted pen. A great effort!
The current eastern migratory Whooping Crane population is now at 74 birds and, at the time of this writing, over fifty are confirmed back in Wisconsin.
Significantly, we can report that ten Whooping Crane pairs are incubating on nests at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, our best start yet.
We are hopeful that other pairs we believe to be in the core reintroduction area may also be on nests. After a disappointing 2007, when all the incubating pairs abandoned their nests, we are hopeful for wild chicks in 2008.
Here on the Baraboo campus, a hard working team of ICF Staff and Board Members has completed the schematic design phase for our exciting new African Crane Exhibits, that we plan to open to the public in June of 2009.
The new exhibits promise enhanced views of our Wattled, Blue, Grey Crowned and Black Crowned Cranes in natural environments, that include working wetlands. They will be complemented by an exciting interpretive story carefully woven together by our Conservation Education Department.
We are thrilled about this new, state-of-the-art exhibit and hope to have a model for visitors to review this summer. We are very grateful to all of you who contributed so generously to this effort through our Africa campaign, that also supported ICF’s field conservation efforts – we surpassed our goal of $2.1 million, reaching nearly $2.3 million!
Our heartfelt thanks to the Dohmen Family Foundation, Bobolink Foundation, Makray Family Foundation, Pleasant Rowland Foundation, Stackner Family Foundation, Jack and Patti McKeithan, Phil and Joan Pines and over 700 other donors who supported these exhibits and our global programs to protect wild cranes and their habitats.
In addition, we want to recognize the Felburn Foundation and the Reinhardt H. & Shirley R. Jahn Foundation Trust for their continued strong support to maintain Crane City - ICF’s on-site captive breeding facility. We are thrilled to announce a new 1:1 challenge grant from the Felburn Foundation of $100,000 to support the continuation of this work in the coming year.
Unfortunately, since I last wrote, the ICF family and cranes everywhere lost two very important friends. Darrell Leidigh and Fred Ott.
Darrell was a long time crane champion who, along with his wife Bettye, was instrumental in helping ICF build its new chick rearing facility.
Fred Ott was a legendary conservationist who served on ICF’s board since day one. We profiled Fred’s fascinating life and his commitment to causes he cherished in the February 2008 issue of The ICF Bugle. We are grateful to have known these two amazing men and are a stronger organization today because of their dedication and passion.
Warmest regards,
James H. Hook
President, CEO
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