50 NEBRASKAland • MARCH 2015
The bridge spans the width of the
Platte River and is a perfect place
to view cranes in flight and witness
beautiful sunrises and sunsets along
with the more than the 300-500 visitors
who will visit every day during crane
season. Visit Outdoornebraska.org and
click on Parks for more information.
Crane Trust Nature
and Visitor's Center
Just off I-80 near Alda sits the Crane
Trust Nature and Visitor's Center. The
Crane Trust is a non-profit organization
dedicated to the protection and
maintenance critical habitat along the
Big Bend Region of the Platte River
Valley for whooping cranes, sandhill
cranes and other migratory birds. In
2012, the Crane Trust acquired the
Nebraska Nature & Visitor Center.
"Our main focus is habitat, and
working with our partner organizations
to keep the tallgrass prairies and
wet meadows as they functioned
historically, and keeping the river
valley free of vegetation," said Brice
Krohn, senior director of the Crane
Trust. "Without this type of land
management the migration wouldn't be
what it is now."
Calling itself the "Spring Migration
Headquarters," the Crane Trust
manages seven blinds for morning
and evening tours from February 28 to
April 5, and welcomes donors, special
interest groups, photographers and the
general public.
In addition to the blinds, the center
includes a butterfly garden, art gallery,
wildlife displays, a gift shop and
interactive touch screens that give
visitors a glimpse of the migration any
time of the year.
Rowe Sanctuary's Iain Nicolson Audubon Center features a gift shop, lecture rooms and a wide-angle view of the Platte River.
PHOTO
BY
ERIC
FOWLER
PHOTO
BY
JULIE
GEISER
