The mere sound of a crane is enough to stir the spirit. The oldest living family of birds on the earth and a cultural symbol of fidelity is also the most endangered species of bird. The only place in the world where you can see all 15 species of cranes is tucked away in a wildlife preserve on the outskirts of Wisconsin Dells. Surprised? So are a lot of people.
A quiet country road takes you to the entrance of the International Crane Foundation, where its 225 acres are almost sanctuary-like. Founded in 1973, there have been so many firsts at the foundation: The first red-crowned crane in the Western Hemisphere hatched in 1975. The first Siberian crane ever bred in captivity hatched six years later. Then, in 1985, the foundation received its first black-necked cranes, making it the only place in the world to have all 15 crane species. Eleven of those 15 are threatened with extinction.
Today, the foundation's work extends to five continents to protect the cranes and their ecosystems. Here in Wisconsin Dells, the group focuses on captive breeding and other programs designed to reintroduce cranes into the wild. A few years back, you may recall seeing news coverage of staff dressed in crane costumes to help in the reintroduction process of whooping cranes, the rarest of the cranes. Ultralight aircraft flown by crane-costumed pilots were even used to guide the young birds on migration routes from Wisconsin to Florida.
The day we stopped, our tour guide, Ann Burke, a Baraboo native who grew up just minutes from where she works today, took us on a memorable stroll, with the most magnificent moment coming as she ushered us into the outdoor amphitheater. You could hear a pin drop. Where you would expect to see a stage was a pond with a pair of whooping cranes performing their parental duties by guarding their new fuzzy chick.
Last year's nesting season produced a dozen chicks. Four went into "training" with the ultralight aircraft, five were released by the Direct Autumn Release method that gets cranes back into the wild as quickly as possible so they can learn the migration route from other cranes, and three remain in captivity for the breeding program.
Who knows what 2007 will bring. Burke hopes for even more chicks. We hope so too.
