All about Whooping Cranes: Talks for kids and adults during a special opening night for the 2016 Yampa Valley Crane Festival!

Hope, the whooping crane mascot created by Jim Henson's puppetry company for the International Crane Foundation, will be making a special appearance throughout the evening!

Crane Coloring Contest Award Ceremony ~ 6-6:30 p.m.
The summer's Crane Coloring Contest comes to a grand finale with awards generously provided by Ciao Gelato!

Whooping Crane Fun Facts ~ 6:30-7 p.m.
Dr. Barry Hartup, Chief Veterinarian of the International Crane Foundation, introduces the majestic and endangered Whooping Crane during a short program designed for kids age 5-13.

Whooping Cranes in 2016: Recovery of an Iconic Species ~ 7-8:15 p.m.
Dr. Barry Hartup, Chief Veterinarian of the International Crane Foundation, offers an in-depth look at the state of endangered Whooping Cranes, what's going on with breeding and ultralight migration programs, threats, victories and more.

About the speaker: Dr. Barry Hartup
Dr. Barry Hartup is the Director of Conservation Medicine at the International Crane Foundation, where he has helped care for whooping cranes since 2000. Dr. Hartup is a past co-chair of the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership that is working to reintroduce the whooping crane to the Eastern Flyway and is chair of the Whooping Crane Health Advisory Team. He also participated in a five year study of the Aransas-Wood Buffalo population of the Central Flyway that has shed new light on the migratory patterns and health of this important flock. Working at ICF has helped to fulfill his professional interests in veterinary medicine, animal population health and epidemiology, and conservation of endangered species. Dr. Hartup has a M.S. degree in Conservation Biology and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Health from Cornell University.

About the Yampa Valley Crane Festival
The Greater Sandhill Crane is an iconic species of the Yampa Valley. Returning in the spring, cranes nest and raise their young in wetland areas throughout the valley. In late summer and early fall, hundreds of cranes from the Rocky Mountain flock join the local birds to rest and feed before continuing their journey south. The festival includes daily crane viewings, expert speakers, films, art exhibits, workshops, family activities and more. All community activities and events are free unless otherwise indicated in the program, and the Bud Werner Memorial Library will be home base for many of these talks, films and events.

Learn more about the Yampa Valley Crane Festival at www.coloradocranes.org.

Whooping Crane photo courtesy International Crane Foundation.