Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Liz Smith, International Crane Foundation Senior Research Associate and Whooping Crane expert presented “A Community Approach for Whooping Crane Conservation Along the Texas Coast”
Michael Forsberg, conservation photographer and filmmaker presented “Into Whooperland: A Photographer’s Journey with the Rarest Crane in the World”
Noah Strycker, author, photographer, and bird man presented “Birding Without Borders: An Epic World Big Year”
Paul Tebbel, crane expert presented “Why We Love Cranes”
Rebecca Weiss, author presented “An Author’s ‘Book Big Year’ in a Small Valley”
Ted Floyd, author and editor of Birding magazine, and his son Andrew Floyd presented at the Carpenter Ranch near Hayden
Meg Karschner, Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition Executive Director, presented “Sandhill Crane Conservation in Northwest Colorado”
Nature’s Educators’ presented “What a Hoot”  starring live raptors 

Films

Flyways – Follows a conservation movement of bird-loving experts and citizen scientists as they mobilize to the challenge of understanding and saving shorebirds. Directed by Randall Wood.
The Crane Dance – Is a meeting of wildlife film and the performing arts as director Max Lamoureaux collaborates with choreographer and dancer Fiona le Goff to explore the courtship of the crane that has inspired dance cultures around the world.
Under the Wire – Tells the story of a community working together to improve fencelines so wildlife can move more freely along the Colorado-Wyoming border. Directed by Mariah Lundgren and featuring conservation photographer Michael Forsberg.

Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Richard Beilfuss, International Crane Foundation, presented “50 years of Crane Conservation: Reflecting Back, Flying Forward”
Sandra Noll & Erv Nichols, naturalists and crane experts presented “Crane Basics” and Sandra also presented “Cranes of the World”
Steve Burrows, birder murder mystery author presented “From Birder to Birder Murder – the Mystery Continues”
Buddy Huffaker, Aldo Leopold Foundation presented “Aldo Leopold, the Land Ethic, and A Sand County Almanac:  The making of an American Classic” followed by a discussion of the book
Ted Floyd, author, birder extraordinaire, and editor of the American Birding Association’s Birding magazine, and his son Andrew Floyd presented at the Carpenter Ranch near Hayden
Erin Gelling, Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition, presented “Sandhill Crane Conservation in Northwest Colorado”
Nature’s Educators’ presented “What a Hoot” with live raptors up close

Films

Mates for Life is a film series motivated by the natural phenomenon of species that mate for life, such as Whooping Cranes, the focus of the first film of the series.
Counting Cranes tells the story of how biologists count hundreds of thousands of birds in a matter of seconds from a plane along Nebraska’s Platte River Valley.
Iridescent Tim Laman journeys to one of the world’s birding hotspots, Brazil’s Pantanal for the chance to photograph some of South America’s best birds.
Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time Film is the first full-length documentary film ever made about legendary conservation thinker Aldo Leopold.

Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Dan Collins, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Rocky Mountain Sandhill Crane Expert presented “Western Sandhill Crane Conservation and Management: A look Behind the Curtain”
Sandra Noll & Erv Nichols, naturalists and crane experts presented “Crane Basics”
Al Batt, Bird Watcher’s Digest columnist, radio host, author, and humorist presented“What is your Spark Bird?”
Chris Wood, Cornell Lab of Ornithology eBird Director presented “eBird: Birding for Science and Conservation”
Spike Millington, Vice President International – Asia at the International Crane Foundation presented “The Siberian Crane Story: a Tale of Ups and Downs”
Ted Floyd, author, birder extraordinaire, and editor of the American Birding Association’s Birding magazine, and his children Hannah and Andrew Floyd presented at the Carpenter Ranch near Hayden
Erin Gelling, wildlife biologist and CCCC Program Director, presented “Sandhill Crane Nesting: What Have We Learned from a Livestream Camera?”
Nature’s Educators’ presented “Talon Talk” with live raptors up close

Films

Birds of America – A love letter composed to the founding father of nature conservation, John James Audubon, following his path along the Mississippi.
Cranes of the Rockies – The migration of the Sandhill Cranes is followed from their nesting areas in the greater Yellowstone Basin, to the vast San Luis Valley in South Central Colorado down to Bosque del Apache in New Mexico.
Hargila – A story about a conservation hero and her inspiring efforts to rally a community to save the Greater Adjutant, a huge scavenging stork.

Speakers

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Richard Beilfuss – President and CEO of the International Crane Foundation, presented “Cranes: Ambassadors for Conservation”
Paul Tebbel – crane expert and retired Executive Director of the Effie Yeaw Nature Center in Sacramento, CA, presented “Why We Love Cranes”
Arvind Panjabi – avian conservation scientist for Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, presented “Canaries in the Mine: 3 Billion Birds Lost. Can we get them back?”
Steve Burrows – birder murder mystery author, presented “From Birder to Birder Murder”
Erin Gelling – wildlife biologist and CCCC Program Director, presented “The Secrets of Nesting Sandhill Cranes Discovered Through a Live-stream Camera”
Ted Floyd – author, birder extraordinaire, and editor of the American Birding Association’s Birding magazine, and his children Hannah and Andrew Floyd presented at the Yampavian Ranch near Hayden
Nature’s Educators – 501c3 wildlife education and rehabilitation organization, presented “Colorado Natives”

Featured Film

The Nature Makers – In a world increasingly dominated by humans, three teams of wildlife conservationists go to extraordinary and seemingly unnatural lengths to try to save three threatened species in the American heartland.

Our 2020 Festival was virtual, featuring videos about a variety of topics by a range of people. All videos are on our YouTube channel: Colorado Cranes.

Videos About Sandhill Cranes

From Ice Age to the Present – A Brief History of Sandhill Cranes in Northwest Colorado, by Van Graham
Sandhill Cranes of the Yampa Valley, by Erin Gelling
From Nests to Colts: Breeding Ecology of Sandhill Cranes, by Erin Gelling
39 Days, by Nancy Merrill
Cranes and Agriculture in the Yampa Valley, by CCCC Production Team
Crops for Cranes, by CCCC Production Team
Sandhill Crane or Great Blue Heron?, by CCCC Production Team
Greater Sandhill Crane Educational Video, by CCCC Production Team

Videos About the Festival

Festival Crane Viewing, by Ted Floyd & CCCC Production Team
Behind the Scenes of the Yampa Valley Crane Festival, by Jo Smith
Crane Yoga, by Liz Leipold & CCCC Production Team
Crane Coloring Contest, by Jo Smith
Crane Photo Contest, by Abby Jensen
Carpenter Ranch Historic Homestead Tour, by Betsy Blakeslee & CCCC Production Team
Crane Storytime, by Steamboat Storytellers & CCCC Production Team

Crane Art Videos

Crane Art of the Yampa Valley, by CCCC Production Team
Creation of a Yard Art Crane, by Abby Jensen
Crane-inspired Creative Arts Contest, by CCCC Production Team
Fourth of July Crane Dancers, by Abby Jensen

Videos About Birds and Wildlife of the Yampa Valley

Nesting Birds of the Yampa Valley, by Grey Barbier and Noah Brinkman
Backyard Birds: How to Attract Them to Your Yard, by Grey Barbier and Noah Brinkman
Common Birds of the Yampa Valley, by Grey Barbier and Noah Brinkman
Birds & Wildlife in Steamboat Springs: A Virtual Tour, by Andrew Floyd
An Audio Primer for Summer Listening in the Yampa Valley: What are all those OTHER birds you’re hearing when you’re looking at cranes?, by Ted Floyd
Wildlife at Steamboat Lake State Park, by Colorado Parks and Wildlife

Wildlife Photography Videos

Wildlife Photos Made Better! By Tom Litteral
Wildlife Photography Tips Part 1 – Camera Tips for Wildlife Photography Digital SLR, by Chris Becea of Morning Light Photography
Wildlife Photography Tips Part 2 – Field Work Tips, by Chris Becea of Morning Light Photography

Speakers

Keynote Speaker, Kerryn Morrison – International Crane Foundation’s Director of Africa Program: Africa’s Cranes, Wetlands and Communities: an exciting story of hope and success
Featured Speaker, Julie Zickefoose – Naturalist, artist, author: Saving Jemima: Life and Love with a Hard-luck Jay
John Azua – Curator of Birds at the Denver Zoological Gardens: South America: The Lost Continent for Cranes plus Denver Zoo’s Junin Lake Waterbird Project: The Initial Stages
Chip Clouse – Manager of the Front Range Birding Company: Optics 101- Choosing the Right Binocular for you
Chuck Cooper – Chief Executive Officer, Crane Trust: The Great Migration, How the Crane Trust manages and saves habitat for Sandhill Cranes
Ted Floyd – Editor of Birding Magazine: How to Know the Birds: The Art and Adventure of Birding – with assistance from Andrew Floyd
Pam Liu – Artist, educator, ecologist: Symbolic expressions of birds by different groups in Africa at different times
Erv Nichols and Sandra Noll – Naturalists, photographers, lecturers and interpretive guides: Fast, Feisty, Flamboyant – Hummingbirds of the Yampa Valley and Crane Basics
Kin Quitugua – Educator, master falconer and founder of HawkQuest: Buteos of Colorado

Films

Journey of the Whooping Crane – A natural history documentary illustrating the remarkable life story of Whooping Cranes
Lost Bird Project – Documentary film in which artist Todd McGrain creates bronze sculptures of five extinct bird species, then attempts to install the pieces where the birds were last seen in the wild.
Beyond Borders (formerly Free Like a Crane) – Award-winning documentary by French filmmakers Maxence Lamoureux and Arnaud Devroute featuring Eurasian Cranes and their migration from Estonia to Ethiopia

Speakers

Keynote Speaker, Anne Lacy – Crane research coordinator for the International Crane Foundation, The Trumpet in the Orchestra of Evolution: The Story of the Sandhill Crane in North America
Jennifer Ackerman – Author, The Genius of Birds
John Azua – Curator of Birds at the Denver Zoological Gardens, The Cooperative Approach to the Hooded Crane Species Survival Plan in North America
Chip Clouse – Manager of the Front Range Birding Company, Optics 101- Choosing the Right Binocular for you
Ted Floyd – Editor of Birding Magazine
Pam Liu – Artist, educator, ecologist, The Inspiration and Influence of Cranes in Chinese Culture
Kin Quitugua – Educator, master falconer and founder of HawkQuest, Birds of Prey
Paul Tebbel – Crane expert and former Executive Director of Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary, Why We Love Cranes

Films

Free Like a Crane – an award winning documentary film by French filmmaker Maxence Lamoureux and Arnaud Devroute
Cranes of the Rockies – film by Michael Bennett about the Rocky Mountain population of Greater Sandhill Cranes

Speakers

Keynote Speaker, Dr. George Archibald – Co-Founder and Senior Conservationist of the International Crane Foundation in Library Hall. Talk followed by sale and signing of Dr. Archibald’s new book, “My Life with Cranes.”
John Azua – Denver Zoo’s Curator of Birds: Denver Zoo’s Crane Conservation Efforts\
Liza Rossi – Bird Conservation Coordinator for Colorado Parks and Wildlife: Monitoring Breeding Greater Sandhill Cranes in Northwest Colorado
Sandra Noll and Erv Nichols – naturalists/photographers/interpreters: Migrating with Sandhill Cranes
Joan Hoffmann – artist: The Art of Landscape

Films

Cranes of the Rockies – focused on the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes and was produced by Colorado videographer Michael Bennett.
The Eagle Huntress – the story of a 13-year-old Kazakh girl from Mongolia who attempts to become the first female eagle hunter to compete in the eagle festival in Ulgii, Mongolia.
From Billions to None – follows author Joel Greenberg as he reveals the compelling story of the passenger pigeon extinction, and the striking relevance of the bird’s demise to conservation issues.
For the Love of Cranes – Nina Faust points her camera not only at the magnificent birds, but also the people in Homer, Alaska who live with cranes in their own backyards. Bridging the connection of wildlife and art, Faust profiles the artists whose creations are inspired by Sandhill Cranes.

Speakers

Keynote Speaker, Nyambayar Batbayar – Director of Mongolia’s Wildlife Science & Conservation Center presented two talks: “Mongolia – Land of the Blue Sky and Cranes” and “Mongolia– Safe Haven for Largest Birds of Prey in the Old World”
John Azua – Denver Zoo’s Curator of Birds gave a presentation entitled “A Community Approach to Conserving the Lesser Kestrel in the Ikh Nart Nature Reserve, Mongolia”
Liz Schnackenberg – USDA Forest Service Hydrologist in a talk entitled “Cranes, Yaks & Floating Sedge Mats” shared information about wildlife and habitat in the Ruoergai Native Reserve in China where she has recently worked on research projects
Dr. Barry Hartup – Chief Veterinarian for the International Crane Foundation gave a special talk for kids 5-13 entitled “Whooping Crane Fun Facts.” He also made two other Whooping Crane presentations: “Whooping Cranes in 2016: Recovery of an Iconic Species” and “Tales of a Whooping Crane Veterinarian”
Paul Tebbel – Crane biologist, former director of Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary on the Platte River in Nebraska, and currently Executive Director of the Effie Yeaw Nature Center in California presented “Understanding Cranes: A conversation about the biology, personalities & strong family ties of Sandhill Cranes”
Barbara Walton of HawkQuest presented “Owls of the World” featuring 5 live owls.

Films

Cranes of the Rockies – focused on the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes and was produced by Colorado videographer Michael Bennett.
Audubon: John James Audubon and the Birds of America – the story of a rare man whose work influenced every generation of nature lover that came after him and has helped to preserve a small portion of the wild lands he explored and documented.
Bhutan’s Birds of Heaven – This film is a beautiful story about a young Bhutanese boy and his love of the Black-necked cranes that visit his Himalayan valley.

Speakers

Keynote Speaker, Paul Tebbel – crane biologist, former director of Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary on the Platte River in Nebraska, and currently Executive Director of the Effie Yeaw Nature Center in California, presented “The Private Lives of Sandhill Cranes.” Paul shared his extensive knowledge of crane behaviors, vocal and body language, and conservation issues with us.
Ted Floyd –Birding magazine editor and birder extraordinaire presented “Bird Identification: Starting Over”. It was followed by a book signing of Ted’s latest book, the ABA Field Guide to Birds of Colorado and the Smithsonian Guide which covers the U.S. and Canada.
Kin Quitugua – master falconer, long time environmental educator, and founder of HawkQuest presented “Birds of Prey” to educate the community about the importance of different raptor species, their specially-adapted tools, and their role in our ecosystems.
Van Graham – wildlife biologist and expert on the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes presented “Yampa Valley Cranes”.

Films

Winged Migration was a stunning visual documentary of the migratory patterns of birds, filmed from a bird’s-eye view. It was filmed over the course of three years on all seven continents.
Cranes of the Rockies focused on the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes and was produced by Colorado videographer Michael Bennett.
A Fledge for Freedom by Nina Faust was filmed at the Kachemak Crane Watch in Homer, Alaska. It was about the challenges of raising a crane colt and teaching it to fly.
Raising Kid Colt followed the adventures of a young Sandhill Crane and his parents over two summers at the Kachemak Crane Watch in Alaska. It was produced and narrated by Nina Faust.

Speakers

Keynote speaker, Dr. Richard Beilfuss – President and CEO of the International Crane Foundation presented “Cranes: Ambassadors for Conservation”. Rich has a wealth of knowledge about cranes and conservation that he shared with us.
Rod Drewien – wildlife biologist, avian researcher and leading expert on the Rocky Mountain population of Greater Sandhill Cranes presented “Everything you ever wanted to know about Rocky Mountain Greater Sandhill Cranes”.
Ted Floyd – Birding magazine editor and birder extraordinaire presented “Learning about birds in the digital age: Lessons from Northwest Colorado” using images digitally captured during the festival. It was followed by a book signing of Ted’s latest book, the ABA Field Guide to Birds of Colorado.
Evey Horn – naturalist presented the film Hope Takes Wing about endangered Whooping Cranes. It described Operation Migration, the project to teach new migration routes to captive-bred Whooping Cranes through the use of ultra-light aircraft.
Roundtable – discussion moderated by U.S. Forest Service Hydrologist Liz Schnackenberg focusing on water usage and crane habitat. Panelists included: Richard Beilfuss, President and CEO of the International Crane Foundation, Geoff Blakeslee, The Nature Conservancy’s Yampa River Project Director and 6-year member of the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and Scott Miller, Wildlife Biologist for the San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuges.

Films

Crane Song was a stunning visual essay of the sandhill cranes’ migration through Nebraska. Our 2012 keynote speaker, Michael Forsberg, was featured in the film.
Cranes of the Rockies focused on the Rocky Mountain Population of Greater Sandhill Cranes and was produced by Colorado videographer Michael Bennett.
Raising Kid Colt followed the adventures of a young Sandhill Crane and his parents over two summers at the Kachemak Crane Watch in Alaska. It was produced and narrated by Nina Faust.

Speakers

Keynote speaker, Michael Forsberg – internationally renowned nature and conservation photographer, presented a very moving and inspirational talk  “From Cranes to Plains – A Photographer’s Journey Connecting the Heart of a Continent.”
Rod Drewien – avian researcher and leading expert on the Rocky Mountain population of Greater Sandhill Cranes, gave an update on the status of this population of cranes.
Robert Skorkowsky – Rocky Mountain Region Avian Program Coordinator with the U.S. Forest Service, presented a program on the White-naped Crane conservation project in Mongolia that he worked on in conjunction with the International Crane Foundation. This project was spawned by a chance meeting at the 2012 Yampa Valley Crane Festival between Skorkowsky and ICF co-founder George Archibald.
Joan Hoffman – plein air painter presented a reading, slide show, and roundtable discussion on “The Art of Birding” based upon her recent Audubon Society Hog Island fellowship.

Films

Cranes of the Rockies – Filmmaker Michael Bennett introduced his film and answered questions from the audience.
Raising Kid Colt – A film by Nina Faust from Kachemak Crane Watch about a young Sandhill Crane, following the adventures of the young colt and his parents over two summers in Alaska.

Speakers

Keynote speaker, Dr. George Archibald – co-founder of the International Crane Foundation shared an amazing story about how Greater Sandhill Cranes in the Rocky Mountains of North America, Black-necked Cranes on Asia’s Tibetan Plateau, and Demoiselle Cranes that migrate over the peaks of the Himalayas, survive at high altitudes.
Evelyn Horn – naturalist and author gave an informative and visually stimulating talk entitled “Cranes of the Rockies, Cranes of the World”. Her presentation included beautiful photos of each of the 15 species of cranes throughout the world.
Ken Strom – Deputy Director of Audubon Rockies, the National Audubon Society’s regional program for Colorado and Wyoming presented two talks: “The Wonder of Cranes: Ancient History, Family Life and Amazing Migrations” and “Cranes and People – Our Special Bond across Time, Geography and Cultures” in which he gave us an update on conservation efforts on the Platte River in Nebraska and the economic impacts of eco-tourism.
Robert Skorkowsky – Rocky Mountain Region Avian Program Coordinator with the U.S. Forest Service, gave a talk on the status and conservation of the Greater Sandhill Crane in the Yampa Valley.

Films

Born To Fly – there was a pre-festival screening of this International Wildlife Festival award-winning film.
Raising Kid Colt – A film by Nina Faust from Kachemak Crane Watch in Homer, Alaska about a young Sandhill Crane, following the adventures of the young colt and his parents over two summers.
A 10-minute DVD ran continuously in Library Hall between speaker sessions, showcasing photographer Darlyne Merkel’s images of cranes coming, going, squabbling and calling.