Whooping Crane Trunk

The International Crane Foundation’s education and outreach staff and partner organizations are delighted to share the Whooping Crane’s story with you through the use of our educational Crane Trunk. Our Crane Trunks offer a variety of activities and information for the classroom to help students understand the historical and current efforts to save a species on the brink of extinction. These resources are available upon request.

Crane Trunk Details

Using a Crane Trunk in the classroom means that you and your students will have access to a wide variety of interactive learning tools. The trunk is designed to empower educators to share with their students the concepts of crane biology, ecology, conservation, captive breeding and reintroduction. The curriculum consists of a series of activities that are thoughtfully paired with hands-on learning tools, including a crane skull, bird flight diverters, and a captive-rearing crane costume. To learn more about the crane trunk and to view an itemized list of the crane trunk’s contents, please view and download the Crane Trunk Guide.

Reservations

Crane Trunks are available year-round. Reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis, so please note that there may be a higher demand during April, May, September and October. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee that our materials will be available on time with less than two weeks’ notice, so plan on requesting trunks at least one month in advance. Reservations may be made for a seven-day period. You can choose to pick up or return your trunk at the International Crane Foundation’s headquarters in Baraboo, Wisconsin, or materials can be shipped to you and returned with a postage fee. Trunks that are shipped should be returned to the International Crane Foundation within three days of the end of the seven-day rental period. For directions to our site, click here.

To request a trunk, please complete the Crane Trunk Request Form. If you need additional assistance contact the Whooping Crane Outreach Coordinator at 608-356-9462 ext. 142.

If you are in Alabama or Indiana, please contact these organizations to request a crane trunk reservation. Please remember that crane trunk rentals outside the International Crane Foundation will not have the same contents.

If you are in Louisiana, please contact the Gulf Coast Whooping Crane Outreach Coordinator to request a crane trunk reservation or K-12 program.

Combine with a Field Trip!

Using a Crane Trunk in the classroom provides a unique opportunity for students to explore the many aspects of crane conservation.

Combining this exploration with a field trip to our site gives students a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience they will never forget. Learn more about our school field trips.

Our Whooping Crane trunk is sponsored by the Antonia Foundation – thank you!