Joel Satore

I have again been reminded of Nebraskans who work tirelessly on issues involving conservation and preservation at the international, national and state levels. I appreciate their efforts and believe those individuals are worthy of praise for their good work.

Joel Satore is one such Nebraskan.

Behind his many, highly regarded picture assignments for National Geographic and numerous photography books, Satore has embarked on a project to photograph the 6,000 animal, insect, reptilian, amphibian species captive in American zoos to create of record of what animal species used to be a part of our world. This self-assigned and self-funded project is garnering, as it should, both national and local attention. For example, earlier this month his project was the subject of a segment on the NBC Nightly News and last Sunday’s Lincoln Journal Star had a feature article on the project.

While the attention is welcome as a means of increasing awareness of the often-fragile state of wildlife, that such a project is necessary is very disappointing.

The Journal Star article reports there are 1.25 million animal species and half of those are predicted to be extinct by the end of the century. And the species expected to die away include such well-known and treasured animals as panda, polar bear and woodland caribou. What a shame!

An almost unimaginable sight

Each year Sandhills cranes arrive in Nebraska on their way to the artic from Texas and Mexico. The Nebraska stop, which can last for weeks, enables the cranes to fatten up and gather strength for the harsh conditions of the far north.

Daytime finds the cranes, numbering in the thousands (and that is no exaggeration), in cornfields and prairies feeding. At sunset those thousands of cranes begin their nightly flight to the Platte River. They remain there all night roosting in the river’s extremely shallow water standing on very long legs, all the while dancing and honking and clucking with their several foot long tracheas.

Sharleen and I, for the first time, took the opportunity last Thursday to experience the majesty and beauty of those thousands of cranes descending on the Platte to roost. Our two hours in the blind was an experience unlike any we have had in our lives and almost defies description. Next year we hope to return next year to experience the sunrise departure of the cranes from the river for another day of gorging.

You should join us.