As a Wildlife Biologist on the Crane Trust science team, one of the most commonly asked questions I get asked about my job is “What do you do in the winter months when you aren’t in the field every day?” People often understand what fills up my time during crane season and the summer months, lots of field work focused on the vast biodiversity we have in the Central Platte River Valley. So understandably, people are often surprised when I say the science team is just as busy in the office in the winter months as out in the field in the summer. All the data we collect in the field about birds, plants, and the Platte ecosystem needs to be communicated in order to have a lasting impact for conservation, not only here around the Platte, but around the world. In order for this to happen our field data has to be organized, analyzed, and published. For such a small group, our science team pops out multiple publications every year, all of which can be read on our website Publication Page. The Crane Trust science team isn’t a standalone entity though. Everyone working with and supporting the Crane Trust makes this research possible. This includes other conservation organizations with whom we collaborate often and members and donors of the Trust.
The most recent publications we have been a part of cover topics like:
- Whooping Crane use patterns of habitat in the Central Platte River Valley
- Ultraviolet light preventing bird-powerline collisions
- The decline of Prairie Fringed Orchids
- Long-term vision for ecologically sound Platte River
- How Whooping Cranes use different quality wetlands in the Central Platte River Valley
- Mormon Island plant inventory over time
- Landscape research monitoring plan
- Testing the use of audio for monitoring birds
- Our bison management plan
