Our Conservation Work
Science & Research
Crane Trust undertakes rigorous scientific research projects to inform land and water management, conservation policies, and land preservation efforts.
Whooping Crane
Sandhill Crane
Other Species
Research Publications
Publications include research projects led by Crane Trust staff, with acknowledged Crane Trust support, or conducted on Crane Trust properties.
Caven, A.J., and M.L. Forsberg. 2025. Whooping Crane nesting behavior, parental care, and ecology at Wood Buffalo National Park. Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop 16:52-68.
Caven, J.C., and J.D. Wiese. 2025. Sandhill Crane lead poisoning linked to a wetland restoration. Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop 16:226–230.
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Fontsere, C., Speak, S. A., Caven, A. J., Rodríguez, J. A., Wang, X., Pacheco, C., ….Hartup, B.K…. & Morales, H. E. 2025. Persistent genomic erosion in whooping cranes despite demographic recovery. Molecular Ecology, e70088.
Land Management
American Bison
Platte River
Prairie
Education
Crane Trust is part of a worldwide movement to prove that outdoor experiences are fundamental to our humanity, and we must reconnect with the natural world. Crane Trust education activities bring people together through shared outdoor experiences that connect us to place, nature, and each other. Participants learn through experiential field trips, special events, family programs, service-learning opportunities, presentations, virtual programs, and outreach events. Please explore our calendar or contact us to learn more!
Blog
Week 4 of 2026 Spring Crane Migration
Hey all, After a long foggy week, we counted 402,000 +/- 40,000 Sandhill Cranes between Chapman and Overton, Nebraska, this morning (March 7 th ). This is above average for this time of year and, much like the last count (week 2), the numbers are closer to next week’s...
Week 1 & 2 of 2026 Spring Crane Migration
Hey all, Happy crane season! On Monday the 23 rd of February we estimated 115,000 +/- 6,000 Sandhill Cranes between Chapman and Overton, NE, along the Platte River. On February 12 th, we estimated around 50,000 cranes in the area. These numbers are definitely on the...
Booms, Squabbles, and Fancy Footwork
We have monitored our Greater Prairie Chicken (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus) lek every year since 2015, from mid-January to late May. There are three different ways that we monitor the lek: audio recorders, camera traps, and scan sampling. We place the audio recorder,...
Wintering Cranes Flight 4
Hey all! It’s January 22, 2026, and we still have 35,000 +/- 5,000 Sandhill Cranes on the Platte River! We completed our last winter survey for the 2025/2026 winter season Wednesday morning (Jan 21 st ). Between all of our surveys this winter we’ve had nearly the same...
An Otter and the Whoopers
This past September the Nebraska Wildlife Rehab (NWR) reached out to the Crane Trust Science team to see if we would be interested in assisting with the soft release of a juvenile female North American river otter that was found in Grand Island, NE. She was found as...
Wintering Cranes Flight 2
Jolly greetings! Today we surveyed the Central Platte between Chapman and Overton, NE, for Sandhill Cranes for the last time… for 2025. We estimated around 31,000 Sandhill Cranes, all of which were just east of the Alda Rd. bridge over the south channel. We weren’t...