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November 15, 2011
Media Contact: Kate Fitzwilliams, 608-356-9462 ext. 147
 The International Crane Foundation (ICF) congratulates Into the Outdoors, a television series dedicated to educating children on Wisconsin’s natural, economic and cultural resources and activities, for earning its eighth Emmy award for “The Art and Science of Cheesemaking” and “Tater Tales” in the category of Outstanding Achievement in Children’s/Teen Program or Series. Having worked closely with the producers of Into the Outdoors on “Tater Tales”, ICF was very excited to hear about their prestigious award.
“We really enjoyed working with Discover Mediaworks and the folks from Into the Outdoors during the production of “Tater Tales”, Jeb Barzen, ICF’s Director of Field Ecology said. “ICF has collaborated with the Wisconsin Potato and Vegetable Growers Association (WPVGA) and its Healthy Grown potato program since its inception in 1994 and sharing their mission of sustainable agriculture to audiences of all ages is critical to the success and future of the program.”
Over 90% of land in Wisconsin is privately owned and the majority of that private ownership is devoted to agriculture. The prosperity of Sandhill and Whooping Cranes in Wisconsin is thus linked to Wisconsin agriculture because these magnificent birds share their habitats with our agricultural industry.
Healthy Grown potatoes is a program that works with growers to provide economic incentive and conservation tools designed to protect and improve ecosystems that both cranes and people inhabit while maintaining profitable farms. To be successful, sustainable conservation activities must address the needs of both people and wildlife within our economic system.
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October 24, 2011
Media Contact: Joan Garland, International Crane Foundation/WCEP, 608-381-1262
 The following release was prepared by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, of which the International Crane Foundation is a founding member. Learn more about ICF's commitment to the endangered Whooping Crane.
View our photo album from the release of the eight DAR Whooping Cranes at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge
Eighteen young Whooping Cranes are winging their way south on their first fall migration. This is the 11th group of birds to take part in the project led by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), a coalition of public and private groups that is reintroducing this highly imperiled species in eastern North America, part of its historic range.
Eight of the 18 cranes were released on Friday at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Dodge County, Wis. (right, photo by ICF staff). The cranes were hatched and raised by biologists with project partner International Crane Foundation. The eight birds were released in the company of older cranes from whom the young birds will learn the migration route south. This is the seventh year WCEP has used this Direct Autumn Release (DAR) method.
“We are proud of the remarkable efforts of the International Crane Foundation staff and interns to rear eight healthy chicks and carry on the efforts to establish a migratory population of Whooping Cranes in the eastern U.S.,” said Dr. Barry Hartup, Director of Veterinary Services at the International Crane Foundation.
The other 10 whooping cranes are being led south by WCEP partner Operation Migration’s ultralight aircraft. The cranes left the White River Marsh State Wildlife Area in Green Lake and Marquette Counties, Wis. on October 9. The ultralight-led birds are currently in Marquette County, Wisconsin. Three ultralight aircraft and the juvenile cranes will travel through Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia to reach the birds’ wintering habitats at Chassahowitzka and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuges along Florida's Gulf Coast.
“The staff and managers of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have put forth a tremendous effort to make this project work and we are very grateful,” said Joe Duff, senior ultralight pilot and CEO of Operation Migration.
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October 14, 2011
Media Contact: Joan Garland, International Crane Foundation, 608-381-1262
The following release was prepared by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Learn more about ICF's commitment to the endangered Whooping Crane.
Two Whooping Cranes Found Dead in Jefferson Davis Parish
LDWF Enforcement Division Identifies Two Juveniles as Suspects in Shooting
 Oct. 11, 2011 -- Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) Enforcement Division agents have identified two juveniles for their alleged role in the illegal shooting of two whooping cranes in Jefferson Davis Parish.
According to an eyewitness account, two juveniles stopped on Lyons Road in between Mouton and Guidry roads south of Jennings at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 9. The eyewitness said they shot from their truck and killed two whooping cranes.
LDWF agents and biologists were notified yesterday morning, Oct. 10, and retrieved the dead birds, which were a part of LDWF's whooping crane reintroduction program. Agents were able to locate the suspected juveniles Monday night based on information from the eyewitness account.
"Losing two cranes, especially in such a thoughtless manner, is a huge setback in the department’s efforts to re-establish a whooping crane population in Louisiana,” said LDWF Secretary Robert Barham. “We take this careless crime very seriously.”
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October 10, 2011
Media contact: Kate Fitzwilliams, 608-356-9462 ext. 147
View our photo album from the Crane City health check
The cranes that reside in Crane City at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo, Wis. underwent their annual health check this past Saturday, October 8th (right, a Whooping Crane says "aaahhh"). Not unlike people lining up for immunizations, the cranes lined up for a physical examination, blood sampling, and in some cases, vaccination.
Each October, ICF’s Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Barry Hartup and ICF’s Vet Tech Annette Aeschbach prepare and lead a large team of staff members, University of Wisconsin - Madison zoological medicine residents and volunteer veterinary students to conduct an annual health check on the 80-plus cranes that are rarely seen by the public due to their need for privacy. Living in Crane City, a breeding area consisting of four streets and 65 pens, these cranes are genetically important and good at laying eggs.
“The cranes that reside in Crane City allow us to pursue two vital techniques for crane conservation: captive breeding and reintroduction into the wild,” Dr. Hartup said. “Making sure these cranes are healthy is our main goal.”
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September 22, 2011
Media Contact: Joan Garland, International Crane Foundation, 608-381-1262
 View our photo album from the transfer to Horicon NWR
Eight Whooping Crane chicks, hatched and raised by costumed biologists at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo, Wis., arrived Tuesday at Horicon National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Dodge County, Wis. (right). The cranes are part of the Direct Autumn Release (DAR) project conducted by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), an international coalition of public and private organizations that is reintroducing this highly imperiled species in eastern North America, part of its historic range.
The Whooping Crane chicks, ranging in age from 10-14 weeks old, spent six weeks at the Necedah NWR in Juneau County, Wis., being acclimated to wetland habitat and wild cranes, before arriving at Horicon NWR. While the birds are housed on the refuges, they remain under the watchful eye and supervision of costumed biologists from ICF. In mid-late October the cranes will be released on Horicon NWR in the company of older cranes. The young DAR Whooping Cranes learn the migration route south by following these older birds. (Editor’s note: High-res. photos of the crane chicks are available on request.)
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August 11, 2011
Media Contact: Joan Garland, International Crane Foundation, 608-381-1262
 Eight Whooping Crane chicks arrived Tuesday at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in central Wisconsin. The cranes are part of the Direct Autumn Release (DAR) project conducted by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), an international coalition of public and private organizations that is reintroducing this highly imperiled species in eastern North America, part of its historic range.
The Whooping Crane chicks, ranging in age from 5-9 weeks old, arrived from the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in Baraboo, Wis., where the birds were hatched and raised by costumed biologists. The chicks will remain at Necedah NWR until after Labor Day, at which time they will be transferred to Horicon NWR. While the birds are housed on the refuges, they will remain under the watchful eye and supervision of costumed staff from ICF. This fall, after the juvenile birds have fledged, or developed their flight feathers, they will be released at Horicon NWR in Dodge County, Wis. in the company of older cranes. The young DAR cranes learn the migration route south by following these older birds.
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August 2, 2011
Media contact: Kate Fitzwilliams, 608-356-9462 ext. 147
 The Amur region of Far East Russia is an important nesting ground for the endangered Red-crowned Crane that totals about 2,700 in the wild. Since the early 1990s, the International Crane Foundation (ICF) and colleagues in Japan have helped Dr. Sergei Smirenski establish Russia's first private nature reserve, Muraviovka Park, located on the lowlands of the Amur River not far from the major city, Blagoveshehensk. The Park stands as a model for sustainable land use and biodiversity conservation as it combines organic farming, summer camps for environmental education, and field conservation.
On June 29, 2011, Oka and Kivili, Muraviovka Park’s captive Red-crowned Crane pair, hatched their first chick! The chick, Tamaki, named after Dr. Tamaki Kitagawa, an ornithologist who has studied Red-crowned Cranes since 1972, will be a part of an on-going reintroduction program to help save this endangered species. Since March of this year, Dr. Kitagawa, has observed White-naped and Red-crowned Cranes in Muraviovka Park and reports 14 pairs of White-naped and 3 pairs of Red-crowned with chicks in the Park. The lack of fire and excellent water levels have contributed to this remarkable success.
Muraviovka Park provides excellent habitat for more than 200 species of birds. The park serves as a test plot for new strategies of ecosystem conservation, environmental education and sustainable development that will benefit both people and wildlife. Since 1993, when the park was established, numbers of endangered Red-crowned, White-naped and Hooded Cranes, and Oriental White Storks have increased three-fold. Hundreds of local children and teachers have participated in summer camps and become strong allies of the park.
Learn more about ICF’s international crane conservation work at its’ world headquarters in Baraboo, WI. ICF is open daily April 15 - October 31, 9AM - 5PM and is located at E11376 Shady Lane Road between Baraboo and the Dells, 608-356-9462 ext. 121. Learn more about ICF's work in the Amur-Heilong River basin in east Asia.
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June 14, 2011
Media Contact: Joan Garland, International Crane Foundation/WCEP, 608-381-1262
The following release was prepared by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, of which the International Crane Foundation is a founding member. Learn more about ICF's commitment to the endangered Whooping Crane.
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) is pleased to announce that new release sites have been chosen for this year’s Whooping Crane reintroduction efforts. This will be the 11th group of endangered Whooping Cranes to take part in a project conducted by WCEP, a coalition of public and private organizations that is reintroducing a migratory flock of Whooping Cranes in eastern North America, part of their historic range. Thanks to WCEP’s efforts, there are now over 100 wild cranes in this population.
The White River Marsh State Wildlife Area in Green Lake and Marquette Counties, Wis. will be home to this year’s cohort of young Whooping Cranes that follow ultralight aircraft on their first migration south.
“It is exciting to have a state property used as a release site for the first time,” said Rebecca Schroeder, section chief of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ Bureau of Endangered Resources. “This project, like many other success stories in the endangered species arena, cannot succeed without strong public/private participation exemplified by the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership.”
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May 12, 2011
The following release was prepared by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), a founding member with the International Crane Foundation in the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP). Learn more about ICF's commitment to the endangered Whooping Crane.
Media Contacts:
Joan Garland, International Crane Foundation/WCEP, 608-381-1262
Doug Staller, Necedah NWR, 608-565-4400
Wild Whooping Crane Chicks Hatch at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge
in Central Wisconsin
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Necedah National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP) are celebrating another success in efforts to reintroduce a wild migratory whooping crane population in eastern North America.
Three whooping crane chicks hatched this week at Necedah NWR in central Wisconsin. The first chick to hatch this season was the offspring of wild whooping crane W1-06. W1-06 was hatched and raised in 2006 on Necedah NWR and is the first wild offspring from the eastern whooping crane reintroduction project started more than a decade ago.
The additional two chicks are the offspring of other well-established whooping crane pairs. Sadly, refuge biologists have been unable to locate the first chick in recent monitoring efforts. The chick may have been predated.
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April 19, 2011
The following release was prepared by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS), a member with the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. Learn more about ICF's commitment to the endangered Whooping Crane.
Media Contact: USFWS: Tina Shaw, 612-713-5331
International Crane Foundation: Joan Garland, 608-381-1262
Citizen Tip Leads to Closure of Whooping Crane Shooting in Indiana
Closure comes in the case of matriarch Whooping Crane shooting because of a citizen tip. Wade Bennett of Cayuga, Ind. pled guilty and was sentenced on March 30, 2011, for his involvement in the shooting of a Whooping Crane in Vermillion County, Ind. Bennett and a juvenile were charged and sentenced in Indiana State Court, in Vermillion County, Ind. Bennett and the juvenile received probation, fines and fees for their involvement in the shooting of the crane. Voluntary information from a local citizen was instrumental in closing this case.
Wildlife law enforcement agents with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources investigated the shooting of the crane. The crane, last observed alive by an International Crane Foundation (ICF) staff member on Saturday, Nov. 28, 2009, was found dead by an ICF volunteer on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, in rural Vermillion County, Ind.
The crane, identified by a leg band, was known as the matriarch of the reintroduction program and was the seven-year old mother of “Wild 1-06,” the first Whooping Crane chick successfully hatched (in 2006) and fledged by reintroduced cranes raised in captivity.
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February 18, 2011
Media contacts: FWS: Tom MacKenzie, 404-679-7291
International Crane Foundation: Joan Garland, 608-381-1262
Second Whooping Crane Found Dead at Weiss Lake, Ala
Reward in Alabama Whooping Crane Deaths now at $23,250
Federal investigators have discovered the remains of a second Whooping Crane at Weiss Lake on the Alabama-Georgia border.
The second crane, identified as #22-10, a crane released last year in Wisconsin in the company of other older cranes, was found less than a quarter-mile from Whooping Crane #12-04.
Investigators believe #12-04 was shot sometime before January 28, and consider the deaths linked. Laboratory results are still pending.
A hefty reward now stands at $23,250, a combined total contributed by 18 non-governmental organizations, federal agencies, and private individuals for additional information on the deaths of the two Whooping Cranes leading to successful prosecution of the perpetrator(s).
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February 9, 2011
Media contacts: FWS: Tom MacKenzie, 404-679-7291
International Crane Foundation: Joan Garland, 608-381-1262
Ultralight-led Whooping Crane Found Dead in Alabama
$6,000 Reward Offered for Information on the Killing of Whooping Crane 12-04
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is investigating the death of a Whooping Crane reported by an Alabama conservation officer at Weiss Lake, in Cherokee County Ala., on Jan. 28, 2011. The lake is located midway between Atlanta, Birmingham, and Chattanooga. Investigators believe the crane was shot.
The male Whooping Crane, designated 12-04, was equipped with a transmitter and leg bands to help track his movements. Trackers located it in January with other Whooping Cranes in a Cherokee County field not far from the lake where it was killed.
Scientists at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Ore., are conducting a necropsy on the dead crane. It is the only lab in the world dedicated to crimes against wildlife.
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February 7, 2011
Media Contacts: DOI: Hugh Vickery, (202) 208-6416
FWS: Tom MacKenzie, (404) 679-7291
International Crane Foundation: Joan Garland, (608) 381-1262
Interior Clears the Way for Return of Whooping Cranes to Louisiana
Reintroduction of Cranes Expected Later this Month
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has cleared the way for the reintroduction of Whooping Cranes in Louisiana a half century after these endangered birds were last seen in the state, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced today.
The Interior Department’s U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a regulation designating a potential Louisiana’s population as a non-essential, experimental population under the Endangered Species Act. This designation would allow the Service to effectively manage a reintroduced population. The reintroduction of Whooping Cranes to Louisiana could begin later this month.
“The Whooping Crane is an iconic species that should be returned and restored to health along the Gulf Coast,” Salazar said. “In partnership with the State of Louisiana, and thanks to the remarkable work of our scientists and experts, we believe we are ready to bring whoopers back. The reintroduction of these remarkable birds will be a milestone moment for the Gulf Coast and in our continuing commitment to the protection and restoration of America’s Great Outdoors.”
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January 27, 2011
Media Contacts: USFWS: Tom MacKenzie, Mobile: (678) 296-6400
Georgia DNR: Rick Lavender, (770) 918-6787
International Crane Foundation: Joan Garland, (608) 381-1262
Georgia DNR Board Passes Resolution in Support of Investigating Whooping Crane Killing
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources Board passed a resolution today supporting the investigation of the recent killing of three Whooping Cranes in Calhoun County, Ga. Members of the Georgia DNR Board and the Georgia DNR Foundation also are contributing an additional $4,800 to the reward fund. This addition brings the total reward fund amount to $20,800.
“This generous contribution comes at a time when there are no real leads in the investigation,” said Philip Watt, DNR Board Chairman of the Wildlife Resources Committee. “We hope the additional funds will entice someone to come forth with new information that will help solve the case. We are proud to be able to show our support in this way.”
The DNR Board resolution urges the Wildlife Resources Division to continue cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and to use “all available resources to investigate and prosecute the individual(s) responsible for killing the whooping cranes.”
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January 12, 2011
Media Contacts: USFWS: Tom MacKenzie, Mobile: (678) 296-6400
Georgia DNR: Rick Lavender, (770) 918-6787
International Crane Foundation: Joan Garland, (608) 381-1262
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Offers $12,500 Reward for Information on Shooting
Wildlife scientists at the National Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory in Ashland, Oregon, have concluded through preliminary testing the cranes found dead near Albany, Georgia, on Dec. 30, 2010, sustained injuries consistent with gunshot wounds.
The cranes were shot sometime before Dec. 30, 2010. They were discovered and reported by hunters. This was the crane’s first migration. They were banded and equipped with transmitters and were not part of the ultralight aircraft-led migration effort. Their identities were confirmed by the recovery of their bands. The three cranes, 20-10, 24-10, and 28-10, were part of a group of five 2010 Direct Autumn Release (DAR) cranes. According to Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership trackers, they had last been tracked in Hamilton County, Tennessee, where they roosted on December 10, 2010, with cranes 6-05, 6-09, and 38-09.
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January 5, 2011
Media contacts: USFWS: Tom MacKenzie (404) 679-7291
Georgia DNR: Rick Lavender (770) 918-6787
International Crane Foundation: Joan Garland (608) 381-1262
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are investigating the suspicious deaths of three Whooping Cranes in south Georgia.
The cranes were found and reported by hunters in Calhoun County, just west of Albany, Ga., on Dec 30, 2010. The landowner reported the cranes had been in the area for a few weeks before they found them dead just before New Year’s Eve.
Necropsies are expected to be completed in about two weeks.
The cranes are part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership effort to reintroduce Whooping Cranes into the eastern United States. These three cranes were released in October 2010 with seven other first-year birds in Wisconsin as part of the Direct Autumn Release program. They generally follow other older Whooping Cranes and sometimes Sandhill Cranes during the fall migration to find suitable wintering habitat. They were banded and equipped with transmitters and were not part of the ultralight aircraft-led migration effort.
Any information concerning the deaths of these cranes should be provided to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agent Terry Hasting at 404-763-7959 (ext. 233).
Learn more about ICF’s commitment to the endangered Whooping Crane.
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