Call of the Crane

A Signal to Celebrate

By Will Roth

Photos by Linda M. Swope

I didn’t see the Sandhill Crane, but I heard it. I was floating on the Teton River, dumbstruck by the natural beauty around me. I still am, and don’t expect that to change. Around here, when I realize my jaw has been hanging it’s because I’ve been staring at something: the Grand, or an angry cloud full of lightning, or a bull moose calmly chewing on a willow, like the one we had passed a couple of bends upstream. It’s not often a sound invokes a feeling of awe, but for me, the call of that Sandhill Crane hidden somewhere in the tall grass bending in the breeze did it. Even now, whenever I hear it, I stop whatever I’m doing to listen.

It’s difficult to describe a Sandhill Crane’s call. The only word that does it justice is “prehistoric.” It carries over impossibly long distances, rolling like stones down a mountainside, echoing off canyon walls. It’s distinct, and to hear it that day on the river made me feel like I had gone back in time.

I was a visitor to Teton Valley that day. I always had appreciated nature and loved spending time in Idaho but was by no means an expert on the plants or wildlife of the region. I’m still not, and may never be, but the call of Sandhill Cranes is unmistakable—so distinctive that there can be no confusing it. Whenever I’m with visitors, I can say with the confidence of a seasoned guide that they’ve just heard their first Sandhill Crane. If they ask me to identify another bird’s call, I change the subject and comment on the scenery. Foolproof.

But seriously, I had learned something I would never forget, which was a welcoming experience. Being able to recognize the call made me feel as if I had something in common with local residents and with transplants who had put down roots here. There was still plenty I didn’t know, but it was a start at feeling settled.

The more floats I took on the Teton River, the more moose I saw and Sandhill Cranes I heard, the more comfortable I felt. Eventually, I relocated to Teton Valley and started working at the Teton Regional Land Trust, which puts on the annual Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival each September. I’ve never attended the event and had expected it to consist exclusively of informational speakers. I was surprised to discover through the people involved in it, past and present, that while the festival does have plenty of such learning opportunities, it’s really about the ways in which we are creatively inspired by cranes. Local experts lead workshops in photography, drawing, and poetry. A poster contest is held each year. Dance groups from various cultural backgrounds perform routines inspired by the cranes. “The art, the poetry, it’s all so we can relate,” I was told by Sue Tyler, the drawing workshop leader. “People want to relate to the outside world. And sadly, we’re getting less and less good at it—unless you make the effort that it takes to learn.”

Why people connect with this particular species of bird may have a different answer for everybody, but for me, it’s because they invite me to sit in silence. Of course, this could be the case with observing all wildlife in their habitat, but with cranes, the silence feels more anticipatory. I’m waiting to hear that next croaking call. This gives my mind time to wander as I wait. Also, something about their size, their grace, and the relationships they have with one another inspires admiration in me. To my untrained ear, their call sounds similar when two cranes are in a field in the early morning or when just one passes by overhead, impossibly high. Yet the feelings they evoke in those instances are much different: one is a sense of contentment and ease, the other of longing and weariness.

When you’re in the presence of Sandhill Cranes, waiting for a call, the silence in which you find yourself can lead to another phenomenon. Matt Daly and Ava Reynolds, who co-lead the poetry and printmaking workshop at the crane festival, discussed this recently. They said that when they think back to times of observing cranes, their lasting memories aren’t just of the birds themselves, but of the entirety of the moment. Matt told me, “I remember seeing them come in at night, seeing them gathering in a bigger group. I remember the night really well. The light on the Tetons. It’s much more about the experience than the static image of the animal. They seem almost on the verge of something: movement, or a little leap. Grace that’s almost static but not quite. Cranes are inherently beautiful, but the moment of where and when you experience them gives meaning to the place.”

In conservation work, finding ways to connect people to the cause is crucial. Kate Salomon worked to establish the crane festival with the late Joselin Matkins, who was the Land Trust’s executive director. She said that from the beginning, the artistic component of the festival was deeply rooted in an effort to interest a wide variety of people in a sincere way. Morning crane tours, led by members of the conservation team, also provide people with an opportunity to experience the sense of place within this landscape.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and particularly the Teton Basin, provide Sandhill Cranes with the perfect environment in summer and fall. “During pre-migration staging, cranes are building up their resources before their long flight south,” said Tamara Sperber, Conservation Director of the Teton Regional Land Trust. “Foraging on waste grain in agricultural fields in close proximity to their wetland night roosts helps conserve the energy they’ll need during migration. Teton Basin provides that ideal alignment of resources.”

Of course, a crane doesn’t know the difference between waste grain and a crop that a farmer plans to harvest. So the Land Trust started the Grain for Cranes Initiative, which allows donors to sponsor an acre of farmland strategically located near prime roosting territory where barley can be grown, cut, and left for the cranes. The efforts to conserve these habitats not only benefit the cranes but also preserve the unique beauty that has drawn people here and has held families for generations: the cranes, the open spaces, the stark natural landscapes.

The ability to feel connected to the land and the changing seasons is what brought me here. At the time, I didn’t realize the role cranes would play in that. “You need to be prepared for winters here,” said Sue Tyler. “Cranes tell you when you better have your firewood in and your roof fixed. They’re a compass, in a way.” Tamara Sperber agrees. “For me, cranes are a true harbinger of fall in Teton Valley,” she told me. “It’s not really even the sight of cranes that signals a changing of the seasons for me, but their call. Hearing their calls, watching them dance, and seeing their graceful silhouettes at dusk as they fly into their night roosts give me a sense that things are right with the world.”

This month, once the Sandhill Cranes flock to Teton Valley, we’ll gather alongside them, ready for whatever journey lies ahead.

The fifth annual Greater Yellowstone Crane Festival will be held September 12-17, 2022, in Driggs. For events and other information, visit https://tetonlandtrust.org/event/5th-annual-greater-yellowstone-crane-festival/

This piece first appeared in IDAHO Magazine.

The Teton Regional Land Trust began to explore youth educational opportunities early in its conception and continues to strive to connect our region’s youth to the natural world. We strongly believe that education is an important component of our work and that by educating kids on conservation and stewardship we can sustain connections between people and land that will carry on for generations.

In 2007 we partnered with Teton Nordic Club and offered several Nordic Naturalist ski events on conserved properties in Teton Valley. Children toured the conservation easements in search of signs of wildlife with help from Teton Regional Land Trust and Idaho Fish & Game staff. Wildlife and wildlife signs observed included trumpeter swan, grouse, mice and voles, porcupine, muskrat, and moose. Each skier received a Nordic naturalist card with which they could keep track of all the wildlife signs they found while skiing. Each child who took a total of three trips and filled out their card received a Nordic naturalist pin to help them commemorate their wildlife observation work. These Nordic Naturalist skis were held each year endured until 2015.

Also in 2007, the Teton Regional Land Trust created a scholarship in honor of Michael B. Whitfield.  Michael’s commitment to land conservation in Eastern Idaho has been instrumental in the protection of key landscapes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. This scholarship program ensures that students, regardless of their financial ability, can pursue a career in conservation. Candidates are eligible to receive $1,000.00 toward their educational endeavors and must show an intention to pursue a major course of study in college or vocational school in the environmental sciences, biology, ecology, environmental planning or policy, agriculture, or a related field. Applications for the scholarship are due in April each year and reviewing them is something the staff always looks forward to awarding. Maybe one of the awardees will come work with us one day!

Since 2013 the Land Trust, in partnership with Idaho Fish & Game, US Fish & Wildlife, the Wyoming Wetlands Society, and The Trumpeter Swan Society, has released a number of Trumpeter Swans cygnets on suitable, conserved wetlands. The swans are banded or tagged and the hope is that they can be tracked and that they might return each year to Teton Valley to raise their own young. Depending on when the release happens, the Land Trust tries to invite a group of students to attend the release. Students get a lesson from a staff member on swans and their ecosystem, the chance to look closely at or even hold a young swan (they’re big!), and be a part of an important project that might shape the patterns of an iconic species. Kids who attended the releases are encouraged to look out for the tagged swans and report any possible sightings.

Raptors on the Ranch, held in 2012 and 2013, was a free event held at Six Springs Ranch in Driggs, where Teton Raptor Center brought over some of their feathered advocates to give flight demonstrations and to celebrate and learn all about our region’s birds of prey.

Our Woods Creek Fen outdoor classroom is open to the public! While we are not offering formal instruction, we do have it open for groups to use.

As part of the Teton Regional Land Trust’s Valley Venture Education program in 1999-2007, children explored educational stations filled with science. In the Fall, 5th-grade students in Teton Valley visited Treasure Mountain Boy Scout Camp, while 5^th graders in Fremont County visited the Chester Wetlands, as the first half of a two-part educational series that gives children a chance to explore the outdoors and learn about nature. In the spring, the same Teton County fifth grade students explored the Wood’s Creek Fen outdoor classroom. Our eastern Idaho students live in such a remarkable place and we hope their ventures encouraged understanding of their local environment and interest in future exploration of this very special place.

In addition, teacher trunks have been an effective tool to connect our local youth to our local ecosystem. The teacher trunks originated in 2009 and have been enjoyed by students and teachers for more than a decade. In 2019, Joselin and Hilary created a program, Cranes in the Classroom, that utilized a script and an art project to deliver an in-person lesson about Sandhill Cranes and why our region is so important to their long-term survival. When Covid-19 hit in 2020, we switched gears a bit and created a virtual presentation that made it easier and safer to present the materials. We realized that we could engage a broader audience by having a virtual component to each of our lessons, and we decided to revamp our teacher trunk series with new materials, Spanish translation, and an online component.

Thanks to grant support from the Community Foundation of Teton Valley Youth Philanthropy program, Battelle Energy Alliance, Intermountain Aquatics, Richard Grundler, and Nancy Winter, we have outlined a series of four new Teacher Trunk lesson plans that build on each other and that we will roll out over the next year. We are striving to create four distinct trunks that can be used by community members throughout the year. Our last teacher trunk update was in 2010 and the materials are deteriorating or have become outdated. We are currently rejuvenating our teacher trunks with exciting new materials and information, salvaging what we can from the old trunks while exploring current topics and creating a user-friendly curriculum. Each trunk will be tailored to a specific grade level, and the modules will build on the previous lesson. The trunks will include laminated images, replica animal parts, digital software, literature, printed lesson plans, and any other relevant materials, contained in a carrying case for easy and safe transport. TRLT staff will provide a video presentation of each lesson that will be on our website, as well as the necessary information for a parent or teacher to teach the materials, depending on individual needs.

Winter Ecology: Snow Science and Animal Adaptations will be followed by Spring: Healthy Ecosystems and Renewal (4th Grade). We will roll out another trunk in late summer for 1st graders, will make our Cranes in the Classroom (2^nd grade) “to-go”, and we have future plans to update our Woods Creek Fen outdoor classroom for middle schoolers.

The Land Trust will continue to seek out opportunities to connect with and educate the youth in our region so that future generations may know the beauty and importance of the natural world around us, so that they may love it and protect it.

For more information about our Teacher Trunks or Youth Education, please visit our Education page here on our website or reach out to Hilary at hilary@tetonlandtrust.org.

Photo  by Rick Budde (2012)

Mike and Sheralee Lawson were recognized as Ed Hill Conservation Award recipients this year during our 30th Anniversary Celebration for their Henry’s Fork conservation easement. You can watch their interview with Jeske Grave, our Development Director, below. Teton Regional Land Trust and Mike and Sheralee Lawson partnered to complete a conservation easement on Friday, December 28, 2018.  This 44-acre property in Parker, Idaho includes ¾ of a mile of Henry’s Fork river frontage and an upland bench which is in agricultural production. The property lies in a complex of protected property bordered by the Bureau of Land Management and Idaho Department of Fish and Game owned lands. It is also across the river from other privately-owned conservation easement properties. The property’s farmland, grass meadows, cottonwoods, and willow riparian areas provide habitat for a wide variety of big game, water bird, songbird, raptor, and wild and native trout species. Notable species that will benefit from this land protection include Sandhill Cranes, Bald Eagle, Wild Turkey, cougar, moose, and Yellow-billed Cuckoo-which is listed as threatened by the Endangered Species Act.

As the founder of Henry’s Fork Anglers 42 years ago and current general manager, Mike Lawson is an avid fly fisherman who values conservation of the Henry’s Fork River.  Lawson said, “It’s the right thing to do. It’s about maintaining a way of life. Ensuring farming and ranching remains part of the landscape. We wanted to conserve the property to be a part of maintaining the character of the area. Having grown up in the area, I’ve seen the development happen slowly over time, but in recent years I’ve really come to see how much of the farmland, ranchland, and wildlife habitat has been lost to development.”

Mike and Sheralee both grew up in the Parker area.  The property is special to them both as individuals and as a couple.  For Sheralee, a fourth-generation area resident, the property has a significant meaning. Her dad grew up in Parker and would often spend time fishing the area river bottoms. She likes to think that maybe her dad walked across this very property in his youth.  Mike has floated this section of the Henry’s Fork for over 40 years and he has long admired this stretch of the river for brown trout fishing.  Just downstream of the property at the Fort Henry monument, Mike proposed to Sheralee along the Henry’s Fork many years ago.  When they saw the property listed for sale, they knew it was important to conserve this special place to ensure the wildlife habitat remains intact and not developed.  Mike and Sheralee’s kids are also supportive of their parent’s decision to protect the property with a conservation easement.

“It was wonderful to work with the Lawsons. Their family history in the region and lifelong love of the Henry’s Fork make it especially meaningful to work with them to protect this special property for generations to come,” said Joselin Matkins, Teton Regional Land Trust’s Executive Director.

A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a landowner and a qualified organization, such as the Land Trust, that limits certain uses of the land, like large scale development, in order to conserve the natural and traditional values of the land. Landowners grant conservation easements to protect the resources of their property for perpetuity while retaining the rights of private ownership. Conservation easements stay with the land forever. This conservation project was accomplished through a partnership between the Land Trust and the landowners. Funding for this project came from the Teton Regional Land Trust’s Eastern Idaho River Conservation Fund and a donation from Mike and Sheralee Lawson.