Hey all!! Will here!
I am excited to be back here at the Crane Trust for my second year as a Saunders Conservation Fellow! I cannot wait to see what things change between this year and last. I have already noticed changes within the bird communities such as less Bell’s Vireos (Vireo bellii) and American Kestrels (Falco sparverius). For the vegetation community, it’s neat to see what comes back in the same areas and what shifts slightly. As well, we always have new bison calves being born! Our current total is in the 42 but you never know when a late birth may occur. We had a calf born last year at the end of September!
Reminiscing on the spring, some of my favorite memories are seeing all sorts of incredible birds around Crane Trust property. Our plover pond is a particular hot spot during migration times. I saw Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa), Forster’s Terns (Sterna forsteri), a flock of White Faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi) and Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), and many Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) all throughout the spring on our plover pond. Some of these species can be seen in the pictures below.
White-face Ibis (Plegadis chihi)
Forster’s Terns (Sterna forsteri)
Marbled Godwits (Limosa fedoa)
Along with the birds, spring brought in a new member of the science team! Please join me in welcoming our brand new Lila O. Wilson Biological Monitoring Fellow: Clara Freese!
Hi everyone, I’m Clara Freese and I’m pumped to be on the awesome science team at the Crane Trust! I’m originally from Iowa, and have loved wildlife and the outdoors since I was two years old, when my mom spent every week taking me to the Milwaukee Zoo. I took that passion with me to college, and I just graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with two Bachelors of Science in May 2026, in Grassland Systems and Fisheries and Wildlife. Highlights of my undergraduate career included working in UNL’s Aquatic Biodiversity and Conservation Lab, a study abroad program in South Africa, attending the Society for Range Management conference with the Range Management Club, and most recently, working as a vegetation research technician at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (Pawhuska, OK) and Barta Brothers Ranch (Bassett, NE).
It’s crazy to think that I’ve already been at the Trust for almost two months! I’ve had a blast learning all our summer surveys, from birds to butterflies to bumblebees. One of my favorite parts has been learning bird calls; I especially love the song of the common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas)! I’ve also had a lot of fun learning about the local flora and new plant ID tricks. I’m hoping to stumble across my favorite plant, Monarda citriodora (lemon bergamot), while I’m here, though it’s uncommon this far north. I can’t wait to see what other new adventures and knowledge I’ll gain during my time at the Trust!
~ Clara Freese, Lila O. Wilson Biological Monitoring Fellow
Thanks for reading!
William Hamson
Saunders Conservation Fellow