“Only” Threatened? Update on Whooping Crane Reintroduction  

Can we imagine a world where the Whooping Crane is only threatened, not endangered? Since the first cohort of Whooping Cranes was introduced to the Wisconsin landscape in 2001, over 300 birds have been released by various rearing and release methods. Fast forward to 2024: just how are we doing toward the goal of down listing? There are now over 20 breeding pairs, and many youngsters scattered about Wisconsin! But that does not mean the project is without challenges. There have been issues with nesting and chick production, complicated by moves to new release areas and amended release methods. Join Anne Lacy, the Director of Eastern Flyway Programs- North America, for a look at the trials and tribulations of bringing a charismatic species back from the brink in this one-hour presentation.  

Learn about the Speaker: 

Anne Lacey is the Director of Eastern Flyway Programs- North America at the International Crane Foundation, ICF. Anne is working on an ongoing, long-term study of Sandhill Cranes. In 2009, she began working with the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, of which ICF is an active member, to study the ecology of the newly reintroduced Whooping Cranes in Wisconsin.