"High horns, low horns, silence, and finally a pandemonium of
trumpets, rattles, croaks, and cries that almost shakes the bog
with its nearness, but without yet disclosing whence it comes.
At last a glint of sun reveals the approach of a great echelon
of birds. On motionless wing they emerge from the lifting mists,
sweep a final arc of sky, and settle in clangorous descending
spirals to their feeding grounds. A new day has begun
on the crane marsh...."

—Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac, 1949

Cranes are emblematic of wild and free places everywhere.
At Birchbark, we believe they warrant a separate gallery all their own! Fossil remains of cranes have been found in Nebraska that date back over nine million years, making them the oldest living bird on the planet. More important, cranes are an umbrella species for habitat protection. Protect crane habitat and you protect countless species that rely on the roosting and feeding habitat that keeps crane populations viable. My love affair with cranes began the first time I saw waves of sandhills backlit by a huge orange sun sinking into mountains at Bosque Del Apache NWR in New Mexico. It has grown into a dream to document all fifteen species of cranes in their native habitat—a multi-year effort I hope leads to a picture book of cranes species throughout the world!

—Brent Kauth