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Notes from the President: Cheorwon Basin Winter Refuge for Cranes in Korea

Can you imagine seeing seven species of cranes in one morning?!? Today our group visited the remarkable Cheorwon basin of South Korea near the Demilitarized Zone that divides the Korean peninsula. Cheorwon is renowned for the large concentrations of wintering Red-crowned and White-naped Cranes that feed on waste grain in this agricultural landscape – one of the very best places to see these two endangered species.

Visitors to ICF May See Rare Hooded Crane Chick


Wasabi, a rare Hooded Crane, hatched at the International Crane Foundation on June 6, 2014. But even before that, its journey was a colorful one. Eggs produced by ICF’s captive flock are either destined for release into the wild – like those of Whooping Cranes – or play an important role as captive breeding birds to protect wild cranes for future generations.

Travels with George: Mongolia 2014

On a wide plain beside the town of Binder in northeast Mongolia, the nation’s first Crane Festival was held on June 13, 2014. Our group and other guests sat comfortably under a large colorful tent with one side open to a field surrounded by other tents, exhibits, games, vehicles, and horses. A sequence of activities unfolded for six hours, including ethnic dancing, singing, dramas, and dances about cranes, along with the three big traditional crowd pleasers — wrestling, horse racing, and archery.