/PRNewswire/ -- For the second consecutive year, Southern Company is sponsoring Operation Migration USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the conservation of migratory species, including the most famous endangered bird in North America - the Whooping crane.
The support will help Operation Migration USA to increase the number of Whooping cranes it raises and leads south by ultralight aircraft from the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge in Florida. This year's class of 23 birds marks the largest ever cohort of young Whooping cranes on their first migration. Operation Migration hopes to increase the number of new Whooping cranes released annually to 24, with the goal of helping the flock reach a self-sustaining population level in four to five years.
"Flying with birds isn't a job," said Joe Duff, Operation Migration's CEO, Whooping crane project leader and senior pilot. "It's a passion. What we are doing can save a species from extinction. Our entire team of staff, volunteers and sponsors such as Southern Company are dedicated to preserving this magnificent icon of endangered species for future generations of North Americans."
A three-year grant to Operation Migration USA was made beginning in 2008 through the Power of Flight, a partnership between Southern Company and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to protect birds through habitat and species restoration and environmental education.
"Southern Company is proud to be a part of the ongoing effort to save the Whooping crane and support the conservation of migratory species through innovative research, education and partnership," said Chris Hobson, chief environmental officer for Southern Company. "Our continued support of Operation Migration is a great example of how we address environmental challenges - by partnering with a variety of stakeholders to achieve real, measurable and long-term results."
"Operation Migration is a prime example of the clear results garnered by Power of Flight, a partnership fueled by Southern Company's leadership and commitment to conservation," said Jeff Trandahl, executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. "At the time of the program's launch, nobody knew the critical gains we'd be achieving today. Not only is our Southern Company partnership supporting significant benefits for the Southeast's imperiled species and habitats, but the program serves to inspire others as a model for future conservation ventures."
The cranes for this project are hatched at the U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Maryland. They are taught to follow a specially designed ultralight aircraft before being shipped to Wisconsin at 50 days of age. Eventually, they follow a team of four ultralight aircraft on their first migration from Wisconsin to Florida.
Once the birds learn the migratory route, they can return, on their own, the following spring. Each year a new generation is taught this route and released. Once this flock reaches 125 birds, including 25 breeding pairs, it can be considered self-sustaining.
This year, Operation Migration's ultralights will travel 1,285 miles through seven states, including three - Alabama, Florida and Georgia - that are served by Southern Company. The cranes began their flight in October; their arrival date depends on the weather but the trip is expected to take at least 50 days. Progress reports on the flight are updated regularly and posted on Operation Migration USA's Web site at http://www.operationmigration.org/Field_Journal.html.
Southern Company is also the presenting sponsor of the daily Operation Migration EarlyBird E-bulletin, which provides updates on flight progress.
Since 2001, Operation Migration has played a leading role in the reintroduction of endangered Whooping cranes into eastern North America. During the 1940s only 15 birds survived in the world, although the species was not declared endangered until 1971. The primary reason for the birds' disappearance was the destruction of its natural habitat; however, thanks to conservation efforts, more than 500 whooping cranes survive today.
Operation Migration USA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the conservation of migratory species through innovative research, education and partnerships. Operation Migration is a founding partner of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), the coalition of non-profit organizations and government agencies behind the project to safeguard the endangered Whooping crane from extinction. For more information, visit http://www.operationmigration.org/.
A nonprofit established by Congress in 1984, The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) sustains, restores and enhances the nation's fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Through leadership conservation investments with public and private partners, NFWF is dedicated to achieving maximum conservation impact by developing and applying best practices and innovative methods for measurable outcomes. Since its establishment, NFWF has awarded over 10,000 grants to more than 3,500 organizations in the United States and abroad and leveraged - with its partners - more than $600 million into over $1.5 billion for conservation.
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Showing posts with label whooping crane. Show all posts
Showing posts with label whooping crane. Show all posts
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Ultralight-led Whooping Cranes Winging Toward Southwest Georgia
Fourteen endangered whooping crane chicks and their surrogate parents – four ultralight aircraft – are headed toward southwestern Georgia on their 1,285-mile migration from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in central Wisconsin to Chassahowitzka and St. Marks national wildlife refuges along Florida's Gulf Coast.
These majestic birds, the tallest in North America, began their migration from Necedah on Oct. 17. In Georgia, the planned route will take them from Clay County almost due south through Decatur County in the coming days. Stopovers are scheduled in both counties. The cranes and crew landed in Pike County, Ala., on Monday and will move toward Clay County at the Alabama/Georgia state line as weather allows.
There are 68 migratory whooping cranes in the wild in eastern North America, thanks to the efforts of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, an international coalition of public and private groups that is reintroducing whooping cranes in the species’ historic range.
Mike Harris, Nongame Conservation Section chief for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division, said the impressive work is bringing back an eastern migratory population of the imperiled cranes “from scratch.”
Harris said historic records show whooping cranes used to migrate through Georgia, possibly even wintering here. “Once the population is restored, we hope we’ll have places where they stop regularly during migration.”
The ultralight-led flock from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge has made its way through Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. For the first time, the route went through southern Illinois and Alabama, clipping the corner of Georgia instead of cutting north to south through the state as before. Increased weather delays and safety risks with crossing the Appalachian Mountains prompted the ultralight migration team and project partner Operation Migration to develop the more westerly route that goes around the mountains instead of over them. Last year’s journey lasted 97 days.
In addition to the 14 birds being led south by the ultralights, six other birds were released in the company of older cranes in the hope that they can learn the migration route from the more experienced birds. This is part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership’s “Direct Autumn Release” program and is conducted by the International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The International Whooping Crane Recovery Team has set the target for this reintroduction at 125 birds, including 25 breeding pairs. Once these numbers are reached the population could be considered self-sustaining. With 68 birds in the wild and another 21 scheduled for release soon, the effort has passed the halfway point and “whoopers” are again migrating over eastern North America after a 100-year absence.
Whooping cranes, named for their loud unison calls, were on the verge of extinction in the 1940s. Today, there are only about 350 in the wild and 500 in existence.
Aside from the 68 Wisconsin-Florida birds, the only other migrating population nests at Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada and winters at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas coast. A non-migrating flock of about 30 birds lives in central Florida. The remaining 150 whooping cranes are in captivity in zoos and breeding facilities.
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership asks that anyone who encounters a whooping crane in the wild please give them the respect and distance they need. Do not approach on foot within 200 yards, remain in your vehicle if possible and do not approach in a vehicle within 100 yards. Please stay concealed and do not speak loudly enough that the birds can hear you. Finally, do not trespass on private property in an attempt to view the cranes.
Each fall, Operation Migration pilots lead a new generation of whooping cranes behind their ultralight aircraft to wintering grounds in Florida. The cranes will make the return flight on their own to the upper Midwest in the spring.
The birds are tracked and monitored year-round. They live and breed in wetland areas, where they feed on crabs, clams, frogs and seeds. They are distinctive animals, standing 5 feet tall, with white bodies, black wing tips and red crowns on their heads.
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership founding members are the International Crane Foundation; Operation Migration Inc.; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and National Wildlife Health Center; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin; and the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team.
Many other flyway states, provinces, private individuals and conservation groups have joined forces with and support the partnership by donating resources, funding and personnel. More than 60 percent of the project’s budget comes from private sources in the form of grants, public donations and corporate sponsorship.
Go to www.bringbackthecranes.org for more information on the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. A map of the route is at www.operationmigration.org/mile_makers.htm#map.
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These majestic birds, the tallest in North America, began their migration from Necedah on Oct. 17. In Georgia, the planned route will take them from Clay County almost due south through Decatur County in the coming days. Stopovers are scheduled in both counties. The cranes and crew landed in Pike County, Ala., on Monday and will move toward Clay County at the Alabama/Georgia state line as weather allows.
There are 68 migratory whooping cranes in the wild in eastern North America, thanks to the efforts of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership, an international coalition of public and private groups that is reintroducing whooping cranes in the species’ historic range.
Mike Harris, Nongame Conservation Section chief for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division, said the impressive work is bringing back an eastern migratory population of the imperiled cranes “from scratch.”
Harris said historic records show whooping cranes used to migrate through Georgia, possibly even wintering here. “Once the population is restored, we hope we’ll have places where they stop regularly during migration.”
The ultralight-led flock from Necedah National Wildlife Refuge has made its way through Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee. For the first time, the route went through southern Illinois and Alabama, clipping the corner of Georgia instead of cutting north to south through the state as before. Increased weather delays and safety risks with crossing the Appalachian Mountains prompted the ultralight migration team and project partner Operation Migration to develop the more westerly route that goes around the mountains instead of over them. Last year’s journey lasted 97 days.
In addition to the 14 birds being led south by the ultralights, six other birds were released in the company of older cranes in the hope that they can learn the migration route from the more experienced birds. This is part of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership’s “Direct Autumn Release” program and is conducted by the International Crane Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The International Whooping Crane Recovery Team has set the target for this reintroduction at 125 birds, including 25 breeding pairs. Once these numbers are reached the population could be considered self-sustaining. With 68 birds in the wild and another 21 scheduled for release soon, the effort has passed the halfway point and “whoopers” are again migrating over eastern North America after a 100-year absence.
Whooping cranes, named for their loud unison calls, were on the verge of extinction in the 1940s. Today, there are only about 350 in the wild and 500 in existence.
Aside from the 68 Wisconsin-Florida birds, the only other migrating population nests at Wood Buffalo National Park in the Northwest Territories of Canada and winters at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on the Texas coast. A non-migrating flock of about 30 birds lives in central Florida. The remaining 150 whooping cranes are in captivity in zoos and breeding facilities.
The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership asks that anyone who encounters a whooping crane in the wild please give them the respect and distance they need. Do not approach on foot within 200 yards, remain in your vehicle if possible and do not approach in a vehicle within 100 yards. Please stay concealed and do not speak loudly enough that the birds can hear you. Finally, do not trespass on private property in an attempt to view the cranes.
Each fall, Operation Migration pilots lead a new generation of whooping cranes behind their ultralight aircraft to wintering grounds in Florida. The cranes will make the return flight on their own to the upper Midwest in the spring.
The birds are tracked and monitored year-round. They live and breed in wetland areas, where they feed on crabs, clams, frogs and seeds. They are distinctive animals, standing 5 feet tall, with white bodies, black wing tips and red crowns on their heads.
Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership founding members are the International Crane Foundation; Operation Migration Inc.; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the U.S. Geological Survey’s Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and National Wildlife Health Center; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin; and the International Whooping Crane Recovery Team.
Many other flyway states, provinces, private individuals and conservation groups have joined forces with and support the partnership by donating resources, funding and personnel. More than 60 percent of the project’s budget comes from private sources in the form of grants, public donations and corporate sponsorship.
Go to www.bringbackthecranes.org for more information on the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership. A map of the route is at www.operationmigration.org/mile_makers.htm#map.
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