Polk County Conservation

Experience the comeback of midwestern cranes by participating in this exciting wildlife monitoring event as part of the International Crane Foundation’s Annual Midwest Crane Count. In partnership with the International Crane Foundation's Midwest Crane Count, Polk County Conservation is calling all bird lovers, newcomers, and avid hobbyists to assist in our annual Sandhill Crane count. Each year in mid-April, over 1,600 volunteers across the Midwest travel to their local wetlands and favorite birding locations to participate in collecting population data. This annual survey of Sandhill and Whooping Cranes spans over 120 counties in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Minnesota. In Polk County, this data provides key insights into the effectiveness of our habitat restoration efforts in our management areas. Walking routes only will be available at Brenton Slough. Participants will need to be familiar with using GPS to record locations of sightings on their phones or other devices. No prior experience necessary. Saturday, April 12th @ 6:00am to 8:30am 6:00 AM - 6:30 AM: Volunteer sign-in and introductions | 6:30 AM - 8:30 AM: Crane count Please register by April 8th. If the event is at capacity, contact Volunteer Coordinators to inquire about participation. To learn more about the Crane Count, perspective crane count participants are asked to check out the online "Crane Count Preparation" folder at https://tinyurl.com/polkcranecountprep. Within this folder, participants can watch previously recorded Lunch & Learns on the crane count, find weblinks to additional resources to learn about sandhill cranes, and learn about how to identify cranes. Perspective crane count participants are also invited to attend a Sandhill Crane Celebration at Jester Park Nature Center on March 22nd at 10:30 AM. For more information, please check out https://www.polkcountyiowa.gov/conservation/events/sandhill-crane-celebration/.