Chimps, Cranes and Conservation Come Together at the Crane Trust: Presentation by The Jane Goodall Institute

Wood River, NE- Chimps, cranes and conservation converge this Saturday in an amazing display of nature and its interconnectedness when Bill Wallauer of The Jane Goodall Institute takes center stage at the Crane Trust’s Wild About Nebraska speaker and event series.

Wallauer's presentation, “Chimpanzees and Conservation Around the World”, will start at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 23, and is open and free to the public. 

As chief videographer with The Jane Goodall Institute, Wallauer’s most recent projects include the popular Disneynature film “Chimpanzee” and The Jane Goodall Institute’s “Chimp Champion.” His infectious personality, great stories and jaw-dropping chimpanzee multimedia presentation help audiences understand how chimpanzees are like us—sharing 98 percent of our DNA and so many of our personality traits. 

Last spring, Wallauer experienced Nebraska’s great sandhill crane migration for the first time from a Crane Trust photo/video blind and fell in love with the Platte River and its cranes. Whether it’s the Big Bend reach of the Platte River in Nebraska or Gombe National Park in Tanzania, Wallauer has observed significant similarities in the issues and challenges facing conservation around the world.

After his in-person presentation at the Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center, Wallauer will also show the film “Chimpanzee” at 1:30 p.m. at the Grand Theater in Grand Island that same day. All proceeds from the viewing of the film will benefit The Jane Goodall Institute.

As part of the Crane Trust’s continuing speaker and event series that day, Jorn Olsen of Jorn Olsen Photography will also speak at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and help visitors discover the uncommon beauty of Nebraska’s plains. Olsen will be available afterward to sign his award-winning book “Across a Wide Horizon.”

Wine tasting, courtesy of Cedar Hills Vineyard, will also be happening from noon to 4:00 p.m. at the nature and visitor center.

The Crane Trust’s month-long speaker and event series is a public celebration of Nebraska’s Great Sandhill Crane Migration, as more than 500,000 sandhill cranes descend on the Platte River in south-central Nebraska every spring for 3-4 weeks before continuing on to their breeding grounds in the north. 

The Crane Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and maintenance of critical habitat for cranes and other migratory birds along the Platte River through science, habitat management, community outreach, and education.

Sports Illustrated Photographer Kicks Off Another Wild About Nebraska Weekend at the Crane Trust

Wood River, Neb–Internationally acclaimed Sports Illustrated photographer Bill Frakes will kick off another Wild About Nebraska weekend this Saturday, March 16, at the Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center. Frake’s presentation, titled “Frakes Takes—My Life in Photography”, will start at 11:00 a.m.

Based in Florida, Frakes hails originally from Nebraska, having worked in all 50 states and in more than 125 countries for an astonishing variety of editorial and advertising clients. Among his advertising clients are Apple, Nike, Coca Cola, Nikon and IBM. Editorially, his work has appeared in virtually all major general interest publication in the world.

Frakes has received hundreds of national and international awards for his work, including the coveted Newspaper Photographer of the Year award in the prestigious Pictures of the Year competition. He also was awarded the Gold Medal by World Press Photo and was a member of the Miami Herald staff that won the Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of Hurricane Andrew. He has been honored by the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards for reporting on the disadvantaged and by the Overseas Press club for distinguished foreign reporting.

Founder of Straw Hat Visuals, Frakes is back home in Nebraska this week to photograph the great sandhill crane migration and to lead a three-day photo tour/workshop on the Platte River to document the experience. As part of the Crane Trust’s Wild About Nebraska speaker and event series, his presentation on Saturday is open to the public and promises a fantastic array of sports and outdoor imagery from around the world.  

Other feature presentations March 16-17 include:

“Outdoor Adventures in Photography” (Saturday, March 16, 1:00 – 2:00 p.m.)

Award-winning nature and wildlife photographer Rick Rasmussen shares his most memorable moments and images in the wild. Rasmussen’s passion for the outdoors began in his early years hunting and fishing with his father in Nebraska, which set the stage for a life of photography throughout the Platte River Valley and, most recently, the wilds of Alaska and the Antarctic.

“Rocky Mountain Headwaters of the Platte” (Sunday, March 17:  2:00 – 3:00 p.m.)

On Sunday, Dr. Will Locke, Professor Emeritus at Hastings College, will lead visitors to the highest Colorado peaks and snowfields to view the scenic headwaters of the North and South Platte Rivers. Locke’s presentation will follow these two rivers downstream into Nebraska where they merge to become the braided river that cranes depend on for successful staging during their spring migration to breeding grounds in the north.

“A Crane’s Eye View” (Sunday, March 17:  3:00 – 4:00 p.m.)

Visitors will take flight with Dr. Bill Beachly, Professor of Biology at Hastings College, as he delivers a fascinating birds-eye view of the sandhill crane's journey northward from its wintering grounds in Mexico to its staging grounds along the Platte River in south-central Nebraska. Beachly's presentation gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "Google it!"

Wine Tasting: Noon-4:00 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.  

All events and presentations are open to the public and are being held at the Crane TrustNature & Visitor Center near Wood River in south central Nebraska, I-80 Alda Exit 305. Before and after the presentations, visitors can browse the center’s fine art gallery and gift shop or take a short walk to see the live bison exhibition herd, climb the observation tower and hike out onto the prairie. Guided crane tours for the public can also be reserved online at NebraskaNature.org or by calling (308) 382-1820.  

The Crane Trust’s month-long Wild About Nebraska speaker and event series is a public celebration of Nebraska’s Great Sandhill Crane Migration, as more than 500,000 sandhill cranes descend on the Platte River in south central Nebraska every spring for 3-4 weeks before continuing on to their breeding grounds in the north. 

The Crane Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and maintenance of critical habitat for cranes and other migratory birds along the Platte River through science, habitat management, community outreach, and education.

Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center / 9325 S Alda Road / Wood River, NE 68883

www.NebraskaNature.org

Birds of Prey Take Center Stage at Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center

NEWS RELEASE

March 6, 2013                                                          

Birds of Prey Take Center Stage This Saturday at Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center

Wood River, Neb–Hawks, falcons, vultures, and owls, oh, my! These amazing birds of prey that ply the Nebraska skies will star in a special live presentation this Saturday, March 9, at the Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center. The presentation, titled “Nebraska Raptors”, will start at 11:00 a.m. and wrap up around 12:30 p.m.

As part of the Crane Trust’s month-long “Wild About Nebraska” speaker and event series, the raptor program is open to the public, free of charge, and promises a rare, up-close experience for adults, families, and children of all ages.   

Blake Hatfield of Raptor Recovery Nebraska will lead the program and demonstrate with live birds how these incredible hunters of the sky have adapted to become a vital part of the Nebraska landscape. Each has it’s place in the environment, and Blake will bring a live hawk, falcon vulture and owl from the program to demonstrate how well equipped they are to take their place near the top of the food chain. 

The month-long Wild About Nebraska speaker and event series is a public celebration of Nebraska’s Great Sandhill Crane Migration, according to Crane Trust spokesman Jeff Oates, as more than 500,000 sandhill cranes descend on the Platte River in south central Nebraska every spring to spend 3-4 weeks, before continuing on to their breeding grounds in the north.

“We’re particularly excited this year to host our greatest variety of outstanding speakers and presentations yet for the month-long event,” says Oates. “When people talk about the ‘arts and sciences’, they’ll find both in full bloom this March at the Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center.”

The complete line-up of events and upcoming speakers, dates and times are outlined below:

Sat, March 9

·      Blake Hatfield, Nebraska Raptor Recovery Program, “Nebraska Raptors”, live bird presentation (11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

·      Wine Tasting (Noon-4:00p.m.)

Sat, March 16

·      Bill Frakes, Sports Illustrated & Outdoor Photographer, “Frakes Takes—My Life in Photography” (11:00 – Noon)

·      Rick Rasmussen, Wildlife Photographer, “Outdoor Adventures in Photography” (1:00-2:00p.m.)

·      Wine Tasting (Noon-4:00p.m.)

Sun, March 17

·      Dr. Will Locke, Hastings College, “Rocky Mountain Headwaters of the Platte River” (2:00-3:00p.m.)

·      Dr. Bill Beachly, Hastings College, “A Crane’s Eye View of Central Nebraska”

            (3:00-4:00p.m.)

·      Wine Tasting, Noon-4:00 p.m.

Sat, March 23

·      Bill Wallauer, The Jane Goodall Institute Videographer, “Chimpanzees and Conservation” (11:00-Noon)

·      Jorn Olsen, Jorn Olsen Photography, “Discovering the Uncommon Beauty of Nebraska’s Plains” & book signing (Noon-3:00 p.m.)

·      Wine Tasting (Noon-2:00 p.m.)

Sun, March 24 1:00-5:00p.m.

·      Dr. Wade Harrell, newly appointed Whooping Crane Recovery Coordinator with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (12:00 p.m.)

·      Dr. Barry Hartup, International Crane Foundation Veterinarian, “Whooping Cranes in the Wild and Captivity” (1:00 p.m.)

·      Dr. Mary Harner/Greg Wright, Crane Trust, Update on Whooping Crane Research & Overwintering Sandhill Cranes (2:00 p.m.)

·      Dr. George Happ, Emeritus Professor, University of Alaska-Fairbanks and Co-author of the Sandhill Crane Display Dictionary, “Primal Dancing and the Nurturing of Young Cranes” (3:15 p.m.)

·      Dr. Aaron Pearse, USGS on Sandhill Cranes (4:00 p.m.)

·      Rockbrook Camera/Video Showcase (11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.)

Sat, March 30

·      Blake Hatfield, Nebraska Raptor Recovery Program, “Nebraska Raptors”, live bird presentation (11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.)

·      Dr. Paul Johnsgard, UNL professor, author, ornithologist, “Winter & Early Spring Birds of Nebraska (1:00-2:00 p.m.)

All events and presentations are open to the public and will be held at the Crane Trust Nature& Visitor Center near Wood River in south central Nebraska, I-80 Alda Exit 305. Visitors can also browse our fine art gallery and gift shop with Nebraska-made goods while they’re here. Guided crane tours for the public can also be reserved online at NebraskaNature.org or by calling (308) 382-1820.  

Established in 1978, the Crane Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and maintenance of critical habitat for cranes and other migratory birds along the Platte River through science, habitat management, community outreach, and education.

Crane Trust Nature & Visitor Center / 9325 S Alda Road / Wood River, NE 68883

www.NebraskaNature.org