Sitting on hundreds of acres,
the headquarters of the International Crane Foundation
offers visitors a serene space
to explore and learn about the conservation efforts
of a beautiful and ancient bird, the crane.
To learn more,
I met up with Chief Operating Officer Kim Smith.
Can you tell us the distinction between a conservatory
versus other spaces in which animals are held, like zoos?
- Sure.
So, I think one of the greatest examples
is where we're standing now.
So, we are in the whooping crane exhibit
here at the International Crane Foundation.
Cranes of the World.
And this exhibit is a beautiful, quiet, secluded space.
When you come in here,
you want to sit down and watch the birds
and the birds are in a beautiful, natural space
and they're doing what they would do naturally.
[birds chirping]
- So, can you tell us the significance
of some of the species you have here?
- Kim Smith: Well, some of the species are highly endangered.
So, we're standing again
in exhibit of a highly endangered bird.
So the whooping crane
is one of the most endangered birds in the world.
There's only 500 left in the wild.
Some of the other species:
Siberian crane, there's only 5,000 left.
Critically endangered.
You know, these are birds that we work very hard on.
Some of our major programs that we work on here
at the International Crane Foundation.
- Conservation of all 15 species of living cranes
requires a global approach,
and president and CEO Richard Beilfuss
oversees these local and international efforts.
- Yeah, well, our main focus is here in North America,
Africa, and Asia.
We work on those three continents
and we're registered in quite a few places.
So, the work is all over
and that's because endangered cranes are all over the world,
but especially,
most of the world's endangered cranes
are in Africa and Asia, so that's a lot of where we focus.
- So, it sounds like the conservation efforts
are more than just about the birds themselves.
Like, there are larger environmental implications.
So, can you tell us about that?
- Yeah, absolutely.
You know, cranes-- part of the reason cranes are endangered
is many of them have really specific requirements
for their survival.
So, in a lot of places to save cranes,
we actually have to save bigger landscapes that cranes need.
That's usually wetlands,
healthy wetlands, and also the surrounding areas.
What's amazing is that cranes
are so revered in much of the world
that they're an incredible-- we call flagships
for really thinking about the bigger landscape
and for conserving wetlands in those surrounding areas.
They draw us in.
They need them to survive
and they also are symbols or flagships
for protecting those bigger areas.
- Conservation efforts that are focused on cranes
it sounds like have bigger impacts
in terms of the environmental benefits.
It's work that is reflected in the newly renovated grounds.
Welcoming visitors to journey around the world.
- Well, one of the things I love about our site here
and the opportunity here
is, I think, especially with our new remodel,
we really want to draw people
into the places where we work internationally.
I think when people come and feel good
about the birds on display and sort of get to know them,
they sort of opens up to these bigger conservation issues
that we're trying to encourage people
to get more involved in.
[rattling bugle call]