An Evening with the Cranes 2017 was a Smashing Success!

Crickets, frogs, songbirds and of course cranes provided the perfect soundtrack for our recent An Evening with the Cranes hosted on the grounds of the International Crane Foundation.

The night was magical indeed, with close to 600 visitors enjoying the sounds of nature, intermingled with two bands and gourmet food from top-rated area chefs and restaurants. Along with culinary delights, guests also enjoyed a variety of white and red wine and designer beer.

Naturally, the brightest stars of the night were our 15 species of cranes, whose stories were told by our national and international staff representing our work with cranes in China, India, South Africa, the United States and Vietnam.

During welcome remarks, International Crane Foundation Co-Founder and Senior Conservationist George Archibald paid tribute to the Mary and Terry Kohler family. Terry Kohler died September 20, 2016. For many years, the Kohlers used their corporate jet to transport Whooping Crane eggs from northern Canada for hatching, rearing and releases into Wisconsin.

This year’s event raised more than $45,000 in revenue. All profits support our work to conserve cranes and the ecosystems, watersheds and flyways on which they depend. Through our work and with your support, we provide knowledge, leadership and inspiration to engage people in resolving threats to cranes and their diverse landscapes.

We thank our 49 sponsors of the 2017 An Evening with the Cranes, whose support helped us showcase our exhibits, natural setting, nature trails and lovely grounds, which serve as the international gateway to crane conservation.

If you missed this year’s event, no worries! An Evening with the Cranes will be back in 2018.

Mark your calendars now for Saturday, June 16, 2018, when we will host this event for the eighth time.

Until then, we thank you for all you do to support the International Crane Foundation.