Mud 'n Cranes: A New Orleans Winter

Time to get up to speed, then.

Currently, I work at the Audubon Center for the Research of Endangered Species (ACRES for short), one of several of the Audubon Institute's footholds in the New Orleans area. Located far from the hustle and bustle of the city, ACRES is not open to visitors, but contributes not just to zoo and aquarium care, but to wild populations of endangered species. In addition to acting as an invaluable genetic bank for a variety of at-risk species (including the African black-footed cat, clouded leopards, and saddle-billed storks) , ACRES is the primary site for the captive rearing of the endangered Mississippi sandhill crane, a subspecies of the sandhill crane. Some of its other claims to fame include the first caracal cat created from a thawed embryo, the first serval born as a result of in vitro fertilization, and the first black-footed cat to be carried in the womb and given birth to by a domestic cat. Very cool stuff.

Due to the vast amount of land required for such an undertaking, ACRES also acts as a valuable habitat island in an area where wildlife is otherwise forced to live an urban life. Wetland birds, mammals, and a wide host of reptile and amphibian life call the grounds home. This makes life interesting for both keepers and the animals they care for, who almost certainly appreciate the natural enrichment (especially when it comes in the form of a tasty prey item).

Barred owls are a common sight early in the morning, and can be heard throughout the night.

Amphibians, such as this toad, in addition to anoles, skinks, turtles and a host of snakes take advantage of the space.

Turkey vultures (such as the one seen here) and black vultures migrate through the area en masse.

New Orleans itself is a city of contradictions; ancient-looking cemeteries filled with ornate mausoleums are nestled in neighborhoods where a few minutes walk leads to all the comforts of a modern city. A half-hour's drive from one of the most developed parts of this state leads to large wildlife refuges where the unique wetland and pine savanna habitat that Louisiana from other states are preserved. Refuges such as Jean Lafitte National Park, Bayou Sauvage, and Big Branch preserve species that can be found in few other habitats, such as red-cockaded woodpeckers, as well as more common wildlife, like alligators, ibis, and egrets.

Supposedly, this is the tomb of New Orleans voodoo queen Marie Laveau

This is a city of celebration, and nothing is more worth celebration than excellent food, something there is no shortage of here. Seafood is, naturally, abundant, and people are happy to take advantage of the bounty. There are few things that can't be thrown on a po'boy, fried, or rolled up into boudin. Excess is also celebrated, perhaps best illustrated by the wide variety of food challenges to be had here, such as the Tchoupitoulas Challenge of the Creole Creamery: 8 heaping scoops of rich ice cream with 11 toppings piled on high, then served in a bowl bigger than your head. Fortunately, yours truly was up to the challenge.

This city is nothing like New York or Chicago, where it's easy to feel lost among the towering skyscrapers and overwhelming crowds. It feels homey, and has a charm unlikely to be found anywhere else. If you ignore the cars and iPhones, its easy to feel like you're in an altogether different era.

Until next time, Rastaman and the gang say, "Don't worry, be happy."

Wisconsin Wrap-Up

Well, this is embarassing. I've forgotten this thing exists. For those of you waiting for tantalizing details about my life, I must apologize. To be fair, things have been pretty crazy!

For those of you not up to speed (again, my fault), I finished up my internship at ICF in November of 2013. I'll miss not just the cranes, but all the awesome people I met while I was there and the awesome experiences I shared with them. So here goes, covering ground since my last post!!

Summer in full swing on the ICF property

The sun sets on Devil's Lake State Park.

Intern berry-picking outing.

It was a long, hot summer for Baraboo, Wisconsin. Dealing with the summer heat while in costume was no walk in the park. But our hard work paid off as we successfully released 9 whooping crane chicks into Horicon National Wildlife Refuge (2 remain at ICF to help introduce some valuable genes into the captive breeding process) ! This year's naming theme, in honor of ICF's 40-year anniversary, was 70's sitcom characters. M*A*S*H dominated the field, with Radar, Hawkeye, Hunnicut and Klinger; the others were Mork, Squiggy, Maude, Barbarino, Latka, Epstein, and, of course, Fonzi. Unfortunately, not all those released made it to migration, but that's the nature of this sort of work. Still, half the birds we released are out there, alive and well!
A lot of down time was dedicated to taking advantage of the growing season. The intern crew grew everything from fruits and veggies, such as tomatoes, squash, and beets, to herbs, including thyme and LOTS of basil. I was able to crank out a few habanero peppers before things got too cold; this is a pretty big milestone, because it's the first time I've grown anything without it dying or exploding into a parasitic wasp.
There was plenty to gather as well. Those of us who knew how found plenty of edible mushrooms around, including morels, chicken of the woods, and giant puffballs. Otherwise, elderberries, blackberries, and raspberries were plentiful on the ICF grounds, and a nearby berry farm yielded baskets and baskets of strawberries and blueberries.

There was still plenty of work to do, though, before things started to get cold. The Field Ecology Department bands all of the season's Sandhill Crane chicks, and yours truly got in on the action.

Autumn at ICF means three things: dramatic foliage changes, colder weather, and annual physicals. Nothing could have prepared me for handling so many large birds. Most of the trouble came not from weight (the heaviest of cranes don't even come close to 20 lbs), but from how tall and strong they are. Still, the whole shenanigan went off without a single hitch, and every bird came away with a clean bill of health. 

One of my favorite adventures while I was at ICF was a day-long excursion to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. It's always a lot of fun to go to places like this with fellow animal nerds, and especially such an incredible facility! The best part, of course, was that it was almost entirely free! ICF fronted the admission costs, complete with stingray touch and mammal show passes!!

Aldo Leopold's shack!!

Two of my final experiences in Baraboo were a crane roost count at the site of Aldo Leopold's (the author of A Sand County Almanac) shack, and a falconry session with my boss's young Red-Tailed Hawk, Val. It was her first outing with an extra person along, so I felt pretty honored. Though she didn't catch anything, it was cool to see the budding partnership between a seasoned falconer and his new charge as they searched together through the woods for prey. Here she snacks on a reward for doing so well, given at the end of the session.

It's times like these that truly miss ICF, if only for the wide of array of opportunities it's possible to have here, from crane handling and rearing to foraging for food in the wilderness. I was pleasantly surprised by everything Wisconsin has to offer, and I dearly miss my crane and intern family.
That's not the end of my crane adventures, though. Coming up next time, the beginning of my work in New Orleans taking care of endangered Mississippi Sandhill Cranes, Whooping Cranes, and other beasts.

Note: Unfortunately, I can't share pictures of this year's babies on public sites. Drop me a line, though, and we'll see what we can do about that!