Sandhill Crane Migration Focus of 40th Annual Rivers and Wildlife Celebration
by Kevin Poague, Audubon Nebraska
The 40th annual Rivers and Wildlife Celebration will be held March 18-21, 2010, in Kearney, Nebraska. Organized by Audubon Nebraska and the Nebraska Bird Partnership, the conference gathers together nature enthusiasts from across the county to witness the migration of over half a million sandhill cranes and millions of waterfowl and other birds through central Nebraska. Events include guided field trips, workshops, a family fun room, and daily visits to river blinds operated by Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary for up-close views of cranes roosting on the Platte River.
Local and national speakers will present information on a variety of wildlife and conservation topics. Main speakers are Scott Weidensaul, author of more than two dozen natural history books, including
Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds, a Pulitzer Prize finalist; Mike Forsberg, nature photographer and author of
Great Plains: America’s Lingering Wild; Ron Klataske, executive director of Audubon of Kansas; and Chris Wood, eBird Project Leader, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. More than twenty local environmental organizations will have information booths and hands-on activities on Saturday.
The celebration is open to the general public. Registration materials can be found beginning in mid-December at
www.nebraska.audubon.org. Or contact Audubon Nebraska to be put on the mailing list:
Nebraska@audubon.org; 402/797-2301. Rowe Sanctuary has information about viewing the sandhill crane migration, 308/468-5282;
www.rowesanctuary.org.
