Published: March 30, 2016
Look out for whooping cranes
Counting event planned for April
Daily News
A whooping crane can tell a lot about a piece or area of land.
“Crane on your landscape can indicate the environment is healthy,”
said Sara Gavney Moore, communications specialist for the International
Crane Foundation, which is based in Baraboo.
“A healthy wetland means it can support a variety of animals, it has
clean water and has diversity of plants as well,” she added.
That’s where an eager counter comes in handy.
The ICF will sponsor the 41st annual Midwest Crane Count from
5:30-7:30 a.m. April 16 throughout Wisconsin, along with Illinois,
Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota. Organizers are asking for more
than 2,000 volunteers to count cranes which will help organizations such
as the ICF gather information on crane population.
“This is opportunity to get people involved and enjoy local wetlands,” Gavney Moore said.
There are 15 species of crane in the world. Of those 15, four are
either endangered or critically endangered, according to the ICF’s
website — www.savingcranes.org.
The whooping crane is one of the endangered species and has been since
1970 in the United States and since 1978 in Canada. The Siberian crane,
which is primarily in northern Europe and Asia, is critically
endangered.
The
whooping crane has population settings in northwestern Canada and
central Wisconsin in the summer and along the Gulf Coast of Texas in the
winter.
The whooping
crane was placed on the endangered species list because of loss of
habitat, which could be because of a natural disaster or farmers
emptying wetlands, and over-hunting.
Sandhill cranes was once nearly extinct but has recovered after years
of hard work. That’s what is going on with the whooping cranes.
The recovery plan for whooping cranes, considered a flagship species
for the North American wildlife conservation movement by the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, began in 1980. On Jan. 23, 1980, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service published the “International Recovery Plan for the
Whooping Crane.”
There were as few as 21 whooping
cranes in 1954 in North America. Today, there are nearly 600 worldwide,
including more than 100 in Wisconsin.
“They’re beautiful birds,” Gavney Moore said.
The ICF was created in 1973. The first survey was in 1976.
Gavney Moore hopes others will enjoy seeing a whooping, or any kind of crane, as much as she does.
“I care deeply about cranes,” she said. “They represent a broad aspect that they’re a part of our lives that we may not pay attention to it.”
Gavney Moore, who has been with ICF since 1999, said a healthy wetland is beneficial to humans.
“If we have healthy wetlands and landscapes, that means we have access to clean water, air pollution is limited,” she said.
Counters will be sent to a designated area to observe and report any
sightings of cranes. At the time designated, most cranes are waking up
for the day.
Gavney Moore said a counting event is a great way to help out science and to also enjoy the outdoors.
Sites are available throughout Washington County.
If interested in participating, contact Gavney Moore at 608-356-9462, Ext. 155 or cranecount@savingcranes.org, or contact Washington County coordinator Patty Keuck at 262-334-0619 or pattycountingcranes@gmail.com.
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