You are invited to our monthly From the Field Webinar series on Thursdays at 11 a.m. Central Time. Click here to view the library of past webinars.
To learn more about sponsoring a webinar, please contact Kate Fitzwilliams at 608-617-6002.
Outreach Along the Whooping Crane Flyway from Wisconsin to Alabama
Thursday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m. Central Time
Lead Outreach Biologist Stephanie Schmidt will share an overview of our Whooping Crane outreach program in the eastern flyway. Stephanie will introduce you to our outreach team and share their goals and where we work along the flyway. She will also provide an update on threats to Whooping Cranes and our outreach strategies for mitigating these threats, including poaching, powerline collisions, disturbance, and habitat loss and degradation.
We thank Scott Saunders, David and Diana Moore, and Joanne Doehler for their continued support of our Crane Conservation Fellowship program!
Helping Farmers, Saving Cranes
Thursday, Dec. 12, 11 a.m. Central Time
The story of the Sandhill Crane is one of true conservation success. Only recently, the species—one of the oldest on the planet—was nearly extirpated (regionally extinct) in the Midwest and Wisconsin. Sandhill Cranes are thriving due to a mix of factors, including better wetland protection and management and their shift to agricultural crops as a food source after losing their natural grassland habitat. Modern row crop farming practices have created an easy way for cranes to locate food in the form of germinating corn seed during the breeding season, causing significant damage to corn crops.
Private Lands Biologist Jackie Slivicke-Scott and Communications and Advocacy Specialist Ryan Michalesko will discuss how the International Crane Foundation is working to find real solutions to support farmers while also protecting cranes and the landscapes on which they rely. They will also provide an update regarding recent legislative actions in the state relating to Sandhill Cranes.