The International Crane Foundation is a non-profit organization that focuses on conserving 15 species of cranes. They have programs about education, research, field ecology, captive reproduction. and reintroduction to the wild. The ICF also helps cranes survive in their habitats and play an active role in the population of whooping cranes. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife is another non-profit organization. They are responsible for recovering endangered species, including whooping cranes. They have a goal to create a second migratory flock of whooping cranes in the eastern states.
The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin fundraises for projects, including the whooping crane recovery effort.
The Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, located in Maryland, raises about 2/3 of the whooping cranes to be released into the wild. They provide research for the Wisconsin release, which includes training whooping cranes and sandhill crane chicks to follow ultralight aircrafts. The chicks then are taken to the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin for more training.
There are several breeding centers in the United States and Canada. A few of them are The International Crane Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Canadian Wildlife, The Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, USGS National Wildlife Health Center, Wisconsin Department of Natural, and the Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust.
The USGS National Wildlife Health Center researches the prevention, detection and management of wildlife disease. These are mostly focused on endangered species and migratory birds and mammals, including whooping cranes. The NWHC provides veterinary consultation, health risk assessments and disease research in support of the whooping crane project.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural manages Wisconsin’s environment in the air, water and land, and outdoor recreation. Wisconsin was the first state to join together with the Whooping Crane Recovery Team and the US Fish and Wildlife Service to try to establish a population of whooping cranes that migrate east. Wisconsin was also chosen to be the summer nesting site.
The Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust is another non-profit organization whose main goal is to conserve habitat for migratory birds on the Platte River in central Nebraska. They protect and restore habitat in and by the Platte River for migratory birds. The PRWCM is working on wetland restoration, as many of the birds need wet/watery habitats. This is to protect the birds from predators and it is a source of food life fish, snails, etc.
