Audubon announced that crane watchers in Nebraska will soon have new viewing blinds to experience the sight of thousands of migrating Sandhill Cranes on the Platte River.
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GIBBON, Neb. – Audubon announced that crane watchers in Nebraska will soon have new viewing blinds to experience the sight of thousands of migrating Sandhill Cranes on the Platte River. The announcement came as Audubon prepares to finalize the design of new Discovery Stations to replace the existing viewing blinds at the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary.
A $300,000 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, awarded in early April, gave the organization enough funding to get started on the project. The Discovery Stations are part of a 50-year plan for Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary, developed in 2015.
“We celebrated 40 years of conservation on the Platte River in 2014,” said Rowe’s Director Bill Taddicken. “We plan to accomplish even more in the next 50 years as we grow our outreach and conservation work in this region.”
Taddicken said the Discovery Stations will be able to serve more audiences in addition to the crane viewing programs at Rowe Sanctuary.
“The buildings are uniquely designed to open up in the warmer seasons to serve as a program space along our trails,” saying crane viewing from the new structures will be even better than what Rowe currently offers.
In addition to funding from the Nebraska Environmental Trust, Audubon also received support for the Discovery Stations from the Kearney Visitors Bureau, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and private funders. The organization is currently seeking a builder with hopes of starting construction this fall.
“We are fortunate to have great partners in Nebraska including the visitor’s bureau and the trust,” Taddicken said. “The Nebraska Legislature created the Nebraska Environmental Trust in 1992 using revenue from the Nebraska Lottery. It’s a great resource for all of Nebraska.”
About Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary
The mission of Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary is to conserve and restore the Platte River ecosystem, focusing on cranes, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.
Visitors year-round will enjoy the Center, four miles of walking trails along the river, and experience the beauty of Nebraska. Located twenty miles east of Kearney, Neb.
