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In Search of Crane Counters!

Sandhill CraneContact: Anne Sayers, Director of Marketing & Communications, 608-356-9462 x118

Baraboo, WI – The International Crane Foundation is seeking volunteers to participate in the 41st Annual Midwest Crane Count on Saturday, April 16. More than 2,000 volunteers participate in the annual spring crane survey as cranes flock back to the Midwest from their southern wintering grounds. This annual survey of Sandhill and Whooping Cranes spans over 90 counties in six states of the upper Midwest (Wisconsin and portions of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota).

The citizen science project allows the International Crane Foundation to monitor changes in the abundance and distribution of cranes throughout their range in the Midwest. In addition, the survey is an opportunity for participants to learn about cranes and the important role that wetland protection plays in their conservation.

Sandhill Cranes nearly disappeared from Wisconsin, but the species has successfully recovered and is continuing to expand. Observations of Sandhill Cranes can lend insight into threatened cranes, including the endangered Whooping Crane.

To get involved: New volunteers interested in taking part in the survey should first contact their local County Coordinator for instructions. Click here for a listing of 2016 County Coordinators, or contact Sara Gavney Moore, Communications Specialist, 608-356-9462, x155.

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The International Crane Foundation works worldwide to conserve cranes and the ecosystems, watersheds, and flyways on which they depend. Learn more at www.savingcranes.org.