March 19-23, 2009 with Mace Hack '86 S86, Nebraska Director of the Nature Conservancy. The perfect quick trip for birders, photographers, or those interested in the conservation issues facing the U.S. heartland today. A Vanishing Treasures Program.

For five weeks each spring, the Platte River valley in south-central Nebraska is home to a symphony of sounds and dancing rituals of ninety percent of the world's Sandhill cranes. Join Princeton Journeys for this short trip to witness the spectacle of over 500,000 cranes stopping to eat heartily and store energy for their migration.

Rise early for a morning bird watch in a blind designed for Sandhill crane observation, see thousands of the birds fly overhead en route to the corn fields, and return to the blind in the evening to watch the birds' return to their roosting areas. Learn from avian ecologists and other experts about degradation of riverine and wetland ecosystems and what that means to the Sandhill crane population and other species in the Platte River area. Travel the "Whooper-Watch circuit" in search of the elusive and endangered Whooping crane. Drive through the Rainwater Basin, a diverse waterfowl ecosystem, stopping frequently for viewing and photography opportunities and waterfowl identification. Although plenty of activity is packed into this short-journey format, there will be plenty of opportunity for discussion and reflection on the ecological issues facing the region and the wildlife.

About the Study Leader
Mace Hack '86 S86, state director for the Nature Conservancy is Nebraska, will serve as study leader for this program.

As State Director, Dr. Hack is responsible for leading the Nebraska chapter's conservation strategy development and implementation, fundraising oversight, and board development. He works with Conservancy partners on projects such as the Platte River Habitat Partnership and the Nebraska Natural Legacy Plan's implementation. In his former position Director of Conservation Programs in Nebraska for the Conservancy, Dr. Hack worked in both land protection and stewardship roles, supervising four project offices across the state. He also conducted conservation planning for Nebraska and worked with Conservancy partner organizations and state and federal agencies.

During this journey, Dr. Hack will speak on the current state of ecological affairs in the Platte River area and the management programs in place for the habitat of many migratory birds that pass through it. He will also introduce group members to the field work that is being done by Princeton researchers and others in the region.

We are currently pre-registering interested travelers for this program. Please read the registration guidelines [PDF] and then complete and submit the pre-registration form [PDF]. Contact Princeton Journeys at (609) 258-8686 or journeys@princeton.edu for assistance.