This project is a collaboration between the Government of Canada (represented by the Canadian Wildlife Service and Parks Canada) and the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo, and partnering together with the International Crane Foundation.

Canadian Wildlife Service and Parks Canada

These agencies of the Government of Canada work with partners to monitor, study and recover species at risk, including Whooping Cranes. Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS) is the agency responsible for monitoring and conducting scientific projects to recover Whooping Cranes under Canada's Species at Risk Act, and Parks Canada manages much of the Whooping Crane breeding range in Wood Buffalo National Park. For more information on Wood Buffalo National Park, please see the FAQs - "Where and when are these images taken?".

Mark Bidwell (left) and John Conkin (middle) are wildlife biologists at the Canadian Wildlife Service in Saskatoon, Canada. Mark leads Canada’s Whooping Crane program by conducting ecological studies and recovery planning in cooperation with other scientists in Canada and the US, and John coordinates long term Whooping Crane monitoring programs on the breeding grounds and during migration. Rhona Kindopp (right) is resource conservation manager at Wood Buffalo National Park based in Fort Smith, Canada, where she leads development and implementation of monitoring programs for iconic species at risk such as Whooping Cranes and Wood Bison.

Calgary Zoo's Conservation Research Team

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo team uses science to sustain threatened wildlife in Canada and around the world. We work together with our partners to develop conservation strategies that will benefit species at risk. Our conservation work is focused in two areas – community conservation and reintroductions, which includes the reintroduction of Whooping Cranes to North America.

The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo is Canada's only facility that breeds Whooping Cranes for release in the wild and has been involved in doing so since 1994. Captive breeding allows for a genetically stable captive population to be maintained and ensures against extinction, as well as providing release candidates for the reintroduced populations. We also conduct conservation research to support the successful reintroduction of Whooping Cranes.

Hannah Edwards (left) and Danica Stark (right) are conservation research population ecologists at the Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo in Calgary, Canada. Hannah is an expert in behavioural ecology and leads the Zoo’s whooping Crane research program, and Danica contributes expertise in mapping and remote sensing to projects related to conservation translocation and community conservation.

International Crane Foundation

Liz Smith (left) is the North America Program Director and Anne Lacy (right) is the North America Program Senior Manager for the International Crane Foundation (ICF). The ICF plays a leading role in the conservation of Whooping Cranes, from managed breeding and release programs to habitat protection, citizen education and engagement, and threat reduction along their flyways. Learn more about the International Crane Foundation and its work to protect endangered Whooping Cranes at www.savingcranes.org.