Sandhill cranes will begin arriving on the Platte River between Grand Island and Kearney on approximately Valentine's Day. (Courtesy photo, Rowe Sanctuary)
GRAND ISLAND – Sandhill cranes will begin arriving on the Platte River between Grand Island and Kearney on approximately Valentine’s Day, according to the director of Rowe Sanctuary.
Marcos Stoltzfus is director of Rowe Sanctuary near Gibbon. He said that last year, a peak number of approximately 700,000 cranes was reached on the river stretch from Grand Island to Kearney, He expects this year that number will be 500,000 to 700,000 sandhill cranes.
The current size of Rowe Sanctuary is 3,000 acres and five miles of river channel, according to the organization’s website. Rowe Sanctuary is located at 44450 Elm Road near Gibbon, along the Platte River south of Interstate 80 near the Gibbon exit.
Stoltzfus said that Rowe Sanctuary offers guided tours to visit blinds at dawn and dusk. The tours are offered from March 4 to April 7. He said that the guided tours are the best way to see sandhill cranes. The cost is $60 per person plus taxes and fees.
A tour for photographers is offered for $120 per person plus taxes and fees. Photographers are able to bring tripods and use rapid-fire photography.
A third option is indoor viewing on Mondays and Saturdays. This is best for families with children or for those people who would have trouble going to a blind. The cost is $25 for an adult and $15 for children ages 5 to 17.
He said for those people wanting to see sandhill cranes from their vehicles, there are several pulloffs near Rowe Sanctuary. Other possible sites are Fort Kearney State Park. Sites can be located at nebraskaflyway.com.
The Overnight Crane Photography Experience provides guests with the opportunity to spend the night in a viewing blind on the banks of the Platte River and photograph thousands of cranes as they fly into the river at dusk, and lift off at dawn.
Photographers and their gear will be transported to the blinds. Because of the close proximity of the cranes, guests must stay in the blind until a staff person or volunteer comes to get the person the following morning.
A description of crane tours is available at: Crane Season | Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary
Rowe Sanctuary offers a wide variety of classes and workshops during crane season from March 4 to April 7.. On Fridays, art workshops are offered through the Museum of Nebraska Art.
From 1 to 4 p.m. March 21 at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, Rowe Sanctuary is hosting “Braided in Unison.” It will feature best-selling author Amy Tan, who will discuss topics including nature journaling. Tan is a prolific writer and author of “The Joy Luck Club” and “The Backyard Bird Chronicles,” the internationally popular book documenting her journey through nature journaling as a form of appreciation for the natural world. Joining Tan for conversation will be John Muir Laws, leader in the worldwide nature journaling movement and the co-founder and president of Wild Wonder Foundation. He is an award-winning author, artist, and educator. The minimum cost of a ticket is $40.
For more information about sandhill crane events at Rowe Sanctuary, visit: rowe.audubon.org or call them at (308) 468-5282.
