Sandhill Crane
Latin: Antigone canadensis
Join us as we commemorate five decades of conservation and community through a season of special events, experiences, and shared appreciation for the cranes, wildlife, and our native grasslands. From guided crane viewing tours to educational programs and celebratory gatherings, this milestone season we invite you to be part of Rowe Sanctuary’s legacy.
Rowe is excited to welcome guest speakers this Crane Season 2025! Learn more about cranes, birds, and conservation topics that affect Sandhill Cranes, Rowe, and Nebraska ecosystems. Speaker lectures are free but have limited capacity. Pre-registration required. Registration opens January 22, 2025.
Friday, March 7, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. | Grey Crowned Cranes as a Powerful Flagship Species for improving Livelihoods of last-mile Communities in East Africa | Dr. Adalbert Aine-omucunguzi, East Africa Regional Director International Crane Foundation | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Saturday, March 8, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. | "Only" Threatened? Update on the Whooping Crane Reintroduction | Anne Lacy, Director of Eastern Flyway Programs - North America International Crane Foundation | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Friday, March 14, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. | Water Wars for Wild Wetlands | Jackie Augustine, Executive Director - Audubon of Kansas | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Saturday, March 15, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. | Home on the Range: Breeding Biology of Prairie-chickens | Jackie Augustine, Executive Director - Audubon of Kansas | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Tuesday, March 18, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. | An Afternoon with the Artist | Andrew Peters, Artist of The Migration Reunion of Ancient Kin | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Wednesday, March 19, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. | Moving Beyond the Thin Blue Line - Thinking Like a Watershed: An Ecosystem Approach to Preserving the Platte River | Brian Ellis, Director of Membership and Outreach, Illinois Audubon Society Matt Hayes, Ph. D in Avian Biology |
Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Friday, March 21, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. | Why We Love Sandhill Cranes |
Paul Tebbel, Former Center Director of the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center
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Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Saturday, March 22, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. |
Kettling to the Sky: An afternoon of Cranes in Poetry
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Prairie Art Brothers
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Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Friday, March 28, 2025 | Rowe Sanctuary 50th Anniversary Celebration | Special Programming | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Saturday, March 29, 2025 | Rowe Sanctuary 50th Anniversary Celebration | Special Programming | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Friday, April 4, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. | The Natural History of North American Cranes | Amanda Hegg, Senior Conservation Associate - Audubon Great Plains | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. | Corn and Cranes: 150 Years of Change in the Platte River Valley | Dr. Larkin Powell, Director of the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Friday, April 11, 2025 | 3:00 p.m. | Tracing the Path of the Platte River | Melissa Mosier, Platter River Program Manager | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Join us for family-friendly time at Rowe! Each workshop includes an art project component followed by indoor crane viewing from our Visitor's Center. This is a great way for families with children under 10 years of age to be introduced to the crane migration! Cost varies by program, pre-registration is required. Registration opens January 22, 2025.
Saturday, March 8th, 2025 | 6:00 p.m. | Origami Cranes | Lois Smith | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. | Crane Feather Art | Susan Hart | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Saturday, April 5th, 2025 | 7:30 p.m. |
Details to come | Maria Beucke | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Watch the migration from the comfort of the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center. An educator will give a short talk on crane behaviors, followed by viewing from the Center. Cost $20/adult and $10/child (18 years and younger), pre-registration is required.
Saturday, March 15th, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. | Registration opens January 22, 2025. |
Monday, March 17th, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. | Registration opens January 22, 2025. |
Monday, March 24th, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. | Registration opens January 22, 2025. |
Monday, March 31st, 2025 | 7:00 p.m. | Registration opens January 22, 2025. |
Embrace your artistic side with Rowe Sanctuary and the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA)! Join us for a study in the junction between art and nature in a variety of media with wonderful guest instructors. Cost varies by program, pre-registration is required. Registration opens January 22, 2025.
Monday, March 10th, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. |
Color Pencil and Graphite Crane Study | Lois Smith | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Friday, March 14, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. | Dances of the Cranes | Susan Hart | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Monday, March 17, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. | Nature's Canvas: Plein Air | David Wiebe | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Friday, March 21, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. | Dances of the Cranes | Susan Hart | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Monday, March 24, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. | Nature's Canva: Plein Air | David Wiebe | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Monday, March 28, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. | Dances of the Cranes | Susan Hart | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Monday, March 31, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. | Watercolor Crane Study | Lois Smith | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Friday, April 4th, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. |
River and Sky: Plein Air Painting | Cindy Schneider | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Monday, April 7th, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. | Painting with Wool: Needle Felting a Landscape | Christine Brown | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
Friday, April 11th, 2025 | 10:00 a.m. | River and Sky: Plein Air Painting | Cindy Schneider | Registration opens January 22, 2025 |
How do cranes use their distinctive calls to communicate? What is behind a crane's body language when they curtsey, jump, wing-stretch, or bustle display? Find out during this daily offering, and learn more about these charismatic bird behaviors! Offered daily March 4-April 12. Cost is $10/person, pre-registration is required.
Bring out your littlest crane enthusiasts and learn about cranes! Grab the entire family and join us for an interactive and engaging storytime for children under 10. Start with a story or two, and then move onto hands-on activities that explore these marvelous birds. Drop-in program, no registration required.
Saturday, March 8, 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. | Drop-in program, no registration required |
Saturday, March 15, 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. | Drop-in program, no registration required |
Saturday, March 22, 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. | Drop-in program, no registration required |
Saturday, March 29, 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. | Drop-in program, no registration required |
Saturday, April 5, 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. | Drop-in program, no registration required |
Saturday, April 12, 2025 | 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. | Drop-in program, no registration required |
Volunteers are critical to the operations at the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary. Take a look at our volunteer opportunities and consider joining this incredible team.
Your generous support helps to ensure that Sandhill Cranes and other wildlife that depend on the Platte River will have this wonderful resource for years to come.
Our gift shop has a wide variety of items and your purchase supports our conservation efforts along the Platte River in south-central Nebraska.