By Robert Pore
robert.pore@theindependent.com

"It's quite a landmark for the organization," said Felipe Chavez-Ramirez, executive director of the whooping crane trust

The whooping crane trust, located south of Alda, will celebrate its 30th anniversary with an open house on Saturday. The event is open to the public.

Chavez-Ramirez said the trust will provide a series of activities and opportunities for enjoying and learning about the prairie, the river, and sandhill cranes.

He said the trust properties have traditionally had only limited public access for hunting and land management. But the 30th anniversary celebration is an opportunity, he said, for the general public to visit trust lands and enjoy the crane migration, among other things.

"We want to allow access to our lands so that visitors can have the opportunity to enjoy the unique experience of observing spring-migrating cranes arriving and leaving roost sites on the river and at loafing areas in wet meadow areas," said Chavez-Ramirez. "This is also an opportunity for people to learn about the research and management activities that the trust undertakes in this area."

Chavez-Ramirez has been with the trust for four years. He said the trust came about as a result of court litigation.

"It wasn't very romantic when you consider that this is a conservation group," he said.

The litigation was between the Missouri Basin Power Project and the state of Nebraska and the National Wildlife Federation over dams the basin was building in Wyoming.

Prior to building the dams, critical habitat along the Platte River was designated for the endangered whooping crane.

Because of concerns about the flow of water in the Platte River once the dams were built, the state of Nebraska and the National Wildlife Federation sought a resolution concerning building the Wyoming dam and the whooping crane habitat in Nebraska.

Chavez-Ramirez said that after a long process a compromise was reached: If the dams were built, the Missouri Basin Power Project would set up a trust to manage the whooping crane habitat along the Platte River.

The trust, made up of one representative each from the Missouri Basin Power Project, the state of Nebraska and the National Wildlife Federation, had some issues. "But right now things look good, everybody is working together and the general mission of the trust has been agreed to by everybody and we are able to pursue that," said Chavez-Ramirez.

One of the biggest accomplishments of the trust, he said, has been the restoration and management of the Platte River that has been accomplished by the trust and its many partners.

"When you look at the distribution of cranes 30 years ago to what they are now, we now have most of the birds in the managed areas instead of the unmanaged parts out west," said Chavez-Ramirez. "The trust was one of the beginners in that effort and it's pretty clear that the trust, in that regard, has been paying off for the birds."

He said a large part of the trust's mission is research involving the whooping crane and generating information that helps them better manage the endangered bird's population.

"We do a lot of research on crane distribution, what parts of the river they use and how the management of grasslands affect the productivity of birds," said Chavez-Ramirez. "We want to make sure that whatever we do is science-based."

Currently, the whooping crane population stands at 266 birds, he said.

"That's the highest since 1941," said Chavez-Ramirez. "We are reaching a peak where there is a lot of awareness of the cranes. That has helped as people now don't go out of their way to disturb or affect the birds' migration because they are so well known now."

During the last five years, the population has seen some dramatic increases after years of significant declines.

"We have had record years the last three years in a row in production of birds," said Chavez-Ramirez. "The more we have conservation groups along the migration corridor providing wetlands, they are going to be much better off."

The cranes, while stopping off at the Platte River in Central Nebraska on their journey north to their traditional breeding grounds, are here up to four weeks and put on 20 percent to 30 percent of their body weight.

While the trust has been in Central Nebraska for 30 years, Chavez-Ramirez said a lot of people still don't know about the organization's existence.

There is no charge for any activity during the open house. Food and drinks will be available throughout the day.

The only activity requiring reservations, because of space limitations, is the viewing from the blinds.

Anyone wanting to participate in the crane blind tours should call Renae at (308) 384-4633 to reserve a spot. It will be a first-call, first-served basis.

All activities will be initiated at the trust's headquarters building at 6611 W. Whooping Crane Drive. The facility is located 1.1 miles south of Interstate 80 from the Alda exit (Exit 305), then 1.5 miles back east on Whooping Crane Drive.

The Platte River Whooping Crane Trust is a nonprofit conservation organization whose mission is to protect and enhance habitat for cranes and other migratory birds along the Big Bend Region of the Platte River Valley. The trust currently owns and manages nearly 10,000 acres along the Platte.

Open house activity schedule

Morning crane blind viewing, 6:30 a.m.

Bird walk, 8 a.m.

Trust and cranes presentation, 9 a.m.

Prairie walk, 10 a.m.

Mid-day crane viewing, 11 a.m.

Trust and cranes presentation, 2 p.m.

Prairie walk, 3 p.m.

Crane-inspired music recital, 4 p.m.

Evening crane blind viewing, 6:45 p.m.