ONLINE: Wetland Coffee Break

press release: "Whooping crane conservation in Wisconsin​," by Stephanie Schmidt, International Crane Foundation

Join Whooping Crane Outreach Coordinator Stephanie Schmidt to learn about the International Crane Foundation’s whooping crane reintroduction and community building efforts in Wisconsin and beyond. The whooping crane is a charismatic wetland species and a large white bird around 5 feet tall, making it the tallest bird in North America. In the 1940s the population reached an all-time low of around 20 birds, but through federal protections and collaborative efforts, this population is now around 800 individuals in the wild and in captivity. The International Crane Foundation is also working with communities in the Whooping crane’s flyways to create stewardship and guardianship for these incredible birds.

Stephanie Schmidt worked as an intern at the International Crane Foundation (ICF) in 2019, working with their captive flock and raising chicks for reintroduction efforts in Louisiana. Following this work, she moved to Louisiana to work with partners there to release the cohort of chicks she had helped raise at ICF. She then went on to pursue a master’s degree at the University of Illinois studying marsh birds. She recently return to work at ICF as their Whooping Crane Outreach Coordinator.

Wisconsin Wetlands Association launched our Wetland Coffee Breaks in to help keep our community of wetland lovers connected and learning about wetlands throughout the year, from anywhere! Our Wetland Coffee Break series features brief presentations about wetlands, the plants and animals that call them home, and the many natural benefits they provide to our communities.

Wetland Coffee Breaks are offered as live presentations via secure Zoom meetings. See below for a list of upcoming presentations and to register. Once you register, you’ll receive an automatic email including the URL link and password you’ll need to access the meeting.

Wetland Coffee Breaks are also recorded and posted so you can watch any that you missed live. Generally, we’ll post a Coffee Break recording within a week of the live session. You’ll find links to these recordings below.

We are grateful to all of the presenters for sharing their knowledge and expertise and to everyone interested in learning more about wetlands!

If you are interested in giving a Wetland Coffee Break presentation, or if you have a wetland topic you’d like to see covered, please contact Katie at Katie.Beilfuss@wisconsinwetlands.org.