Two Saurus Cranes, grey-white bodies and a shock of scarlet on their heads, standing among tall grasses in the bright sun. Photo by Arun Christopher Manoharan.
Join the BIPOC Birding Club for a trip to the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, where we will learn about their important mission and see their work in action! The day starts with a free guided tour with one of the ICF's interpreters, followed by birding the prairie and forest trails.
We will have the opportunity to see the cranes, which tend to be more active in the morning so it should be a treat. Learn more about ICF at the bottom of this page.
Parking and Transportation
Visit the ICF’s website for directions and parking information. If you are interested in carpooling, please let us know in the registration form below! We will do our best to coordinate carpools.
What to Expect
The main exhibit areas have paved, ADA-accessible trails with gentle slopes. Please note that some of the nature trails are not wheelchair accessible. For more accessibility information, visit Frequently Asked Questions, Guest Services, or contact the ICF’s Conservation Education Department at 608-356-9462, ext. 127. Please also feel free to contact our team with any questions or requests!
As always, birders of all skill levels are welcome and we have child- and adult-sized binoculars available for those who’d like to borrow a pair!
Register here! (This is helpful because it allows us to give our hosts a headcount and coordinate carpooling.)
About ICF:
Founded in 1973, the International Crane Foundation (ICF) works worldwide to conserve cranes and the ecosystems, watersheds, and flyways on which they depend. They maintain regional staff, offices, and programs in Africa (Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, and South Africa), Asia (China, Russia, Korea, Vietnam, and Myanmar), and North America (Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Indiana), in addition to their headquarters in Wisconsin. The ICF also works in partnership with a network of hundreds of specialists and organizations in over 50 countries on five continents.
Cranes are among the most endangered families of birds on earth, and the ICF works to reduce threats such as loss and degradation of habitat, water diversions, uncontrolled fires, invasive species, mining, illegal trade, and others that have pushed some crane populations to the brink of extinction. Cranes also are ambassadors for conservation – serving as flagships for some of the most important places on Earth. They work through the strong cultural connections between people and cranes around the world to lead innovative efforts for new protected areas, land and water conservation, and improved livelihoods for people who share their lands with cranes.
ICF maintains a 250-acre campus in Baraboo, Wisconsin that hosts a “species bank” of over 120 rare and threatened cranes and where more than 30,000 people visit annually. Our campus is an interactive classroom featuring live crane exhibits, an education center, breeding facilities, research library, miles of nature trails, and a global center for conservation leadership, training, and empowerment.