There’s only one place in the world where you can see all of the world’s crane species, and it’s right here in Wisconsin.
Located in Baraboo, the International Crane Foundation has gained international acclaim as one of the world’s leaders in conservation of the endangered species.
The International Crane Foundation was established in 1973 by Cornell University graduate students George Archibald and Ron Sauey. Realizing that cranes were under intense pressure from the world’s rapidly expanding human population, the classmates dedicated themselves to the study and preservation of the species.
A trip to the ICF is filled with many wonderful educational opportunities and the chance to see several unique cranes.
From the black crowned crane to the whooping crane, the ICF houses 15 of the world’s crane species in the former horse farm of co-founder Sauey’s parents.
Visitors to the foundation will learn about the wonder of cranes, techniques used for their preservation, threats to their survival, ecosystem restoration and efforts to protect these creatures -- through guided tours, multimedia presentations and exploration of the foundation’s 100 acres of restored prairie.
A wattled crane dancing in its grassland enclosure, the haunting calls of the red-crowned cranes, the world’s tallest flying bird -- the Sarus crane -- and one of the world’s rarest birds, the whooping crane, are just a sampling of the species on hand.
For additional information on the International Crane Foundation, visit www.savingcranes.org.