Journey South With Endangered Whooping Cranes Led by Ultralights
Welcome! Year EIGHT in the historic conservation project to reintroduce Whooping Cranes to the eastern part of North America is nearing takeoff. Sixteen hatch-year 2008 chicks for the new Eastern flock are now in "Flight School" at Wisconsin's Necedah National Wildlife Refuge. Just weeks from now they must be ready for their thrilling but risky first migration. They'll depart in October behind ultralight airplane "parents" that show the way. The migration route will be changed this year for the first time: There will be no mountains to cross (in hopes of avoiding lengthy weather delays)!
An additional seven young whooper chicks are being reared for a different flight plan. After the ultralight planes depart with their 16 chicks, these seven will be released among the older adult Whooping Cranes summering on the Wisconsin refuge. Experts hope they will follow the older cranes all the way to Florida, thus learning the lifelong migration route for the reintroduced flock. These eight whooper chicks are part of the Direct Autumn Release (DAR) program. DAR is another step for adding young cranes to this growing new flock. This is year four for the DAR program.
Will the chicks all make the journey safely? How long will this year's ultralight-led migration take? What highlights and lowlights await on the 1,200-mile journey through seven states? You'll find out on Journey South this fall. Read on to see how to participate. We're glad you're here!
How to Track the Whooping Crane Migration
http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/crane/08/Welcome.html
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