Imagine pedaling 2,500 miles through the heart of the Great Plains–following an ancient migration of one of the rarest birds in the world, powered by grit, determination, and love for a species we almost lost.
This spring, a photographer and an ecologist will set out to do just that.
Beginning on May 11 along the Texas Gulf Coast and ending around June 30 in the prairies of central Saskatchewan, conservation photographer Mike Forsberg and the International Crane Foundation Director of Central Flyway Programs Andy Caven will trace the migration route of the whooping crane.
These five-foot-tall, magnificent birds embark on a harrowing 2,500-mile journey, twice a year. Once abundant throughout the Great Plains, they were nearly driven to extinction, with a staggering low of only 15 wild birds in the 1940s. Today, they are making a comeback—but there is still much at stake.
Mike has dedicated the last seven years to telling the story of these birds, and his efforts have been made into a book, a podcast, and soon-to-be-featured-length film. Andy is a habitat ecologist whose work focuses on conservation policy, delivery, and research regarding whooping cranes, sandhill cranes, and their habitats.
Mike and Andy’s goal is to physically feel the distance that whooping cranes, as well as hundreds of other migratory species, travel between nesting and wintering grounds. By traveling the corridor, we aim to reveal the habitats and threats they navigate, and experience the whooper highway in a whole new way.
We invite you to be an active participant in this journey–we can’t do it alone. If you are interested in biking with Mike and Andy, meeting them along the route, or following along on their journey, follow us on social media and https://whoopingcranechronicles.com/bike/
Thanks for your support, and long live cranes.