The 12th annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival will be held in beautiful Steamboat Springs, Hayden, and Craig, Colorado.

Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition, Inc. presents the annual Yampa Valley Crane Festival every fall. The festival occurs during fall staging- when cranes gather in large numbers in the fall to feed and gain energy for their migration south. The festival is held in beautiful Northwest Colorado with events in Steamboat Springs, Hayden, and Craig. The festival features guided crane-viewings, bird and nature walks, expert speakers, films, crane and bird art, children and family activities, and more!

Schedule:

Tuesday, August 29, 2023

7:00pm: Wild Films: A Trio of Shorts, including Mates for Life and two films from the International Wildlife Film Festival – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Mates for Life is a film series motivated by the natural phenomenon of species that mate for life. This first film of the series focuses on the Whooping Crane, an endangered species with a population of a little over 800. This intimate interpretation inspired by avian movement will engage both supporters of conservation and the arts.

Counting Cranes:  Imagine trying to count hundreds of thousands of birds in a matter of seconds. This is what Andy Caven does every spring… from a plane. In March, almost a million sandhill cranes pass through Nebraska’s Platte River Valley. For the past 20 years, the Crane Trust has conducted aerial surveys of sandhill crane roosts to get an accurate count of the number of birds that pass through. Andy and his team take us behind the scenes to show us how this is done, what they have learned, and why it’s important.

Iridescent: When it comes to the discovery and documentation of birds, Tim Laman is one of the best in the world. As he entered the final curation stages of his forthcoming book, Bird Planet, fellow bird lover and National Geographic photographer Keith Ladzinski reached out with an opportunity to go on safari in one of the world’s birding hotspots, Brazil’s Pantanal region. It had been on Tim’s bucket list for years but he had yet to visit, so he jumped at the chance to photograph some of South America’s best birds.

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

7:00pm: Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time Film – West Twin Cinema, Craig, CO

The first full-length documentary film ever made about legendary conservation thinker Aldo Leopold, Green Fire explores Leopold’s extraordinary career and his enduring influence – tracing how he shaped the modern conservation movement and continues to inspire projects all over the country that connect people and the land.

Thursday, August 31, 2023

4:00pm – 8:00pm: Educational crane displays outside Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

4:00pm – 5:00pm: “Crane Basics” by Sandra Noll & Erv Nichols, naturalists and crane experts – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

When watching a group of Sandhill Cranes did you ever wish you knew more about these elegant birds, what they’re doing and why? Crane Basics is your opportunity to learn more about crane biology and behavior. You will gain insights into crane migration, family life, body language and vocalizations through our photographs and captivating video. It’s knowledge that will significantly enhance your crane watching experience!

4:00pm – 5:00pm: Crane Story-telling event led by Spellbinders – Children’s StoryTime Room at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Come hear stories that soar, flutter, and glide on the wings of cranes and other birds. Bring your family and friends to hear tales of majestic, wise, and often tricky birds that fill our sky with beauty and wonder. Perfect for children.

4:30pm – 7:30pm: Crane Yard Art display and silent auction – Library Lawn at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Come view and bid on Yard Art Cranes creatively decorated by local artists. All proceeds benefit Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition, presenters of the Yampa Valley Crane Festival. The auction takes place online at 32Auctions.com starting on Thursday 8/31 at 6:30 pm and concluding on Sunday 9/4 at noon. Full details describing how to participate in the online auction will be posted on our website in August.

5:00pm – 5:15pm: Crane Coloring Contest Awards Ceremony – Library Lawn at Bud Werner Memorial Library

5:15pm – 6:15pm: Spirit Wind Aerial Arts dancers, led by local aerialist Heidi Miller – Library Lawn at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Dancers will perform elegant high-flying dance in the hammock and silks, suspended high over the Library Lawn.

6:30pm: Crane Yard Art Silent Auction Begins

The auction takes place online at 32Auctions.com starting on Thursday 8/31 at 6:30 pm and concluding on Sunday 9/4 at noon. Full details describing how to participate in the online auction will be posted on our website in August. All proceeds benefit Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition, presenters of the Yampa Valley Crane Festival.

7:00pm – 8:30pm: Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time Film – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

The first full-length documentary film ever made about legendary conservation thinker Aldo Leopold, Green Fire explores Leopold’s extraordinary career and his enduring influence – tracing how he shaped the modern conservation movement and continues to inspire projects all over the country that connect people and the land.

Friday, September 1, 2023

5:45am – 8:45am: Guided Sunrise Crane Viewing – Stockbridge Transit Center

Shuttles will transport you to two locations where you can get off the shuttles to view the cranes flying overhead and feeding in agricultural fields. Sandra Noll and Erv Nichols will address your questions and provide pertinent info about Sandhill Cranes and their behavior to enhance your crane viewing experience. The shuttles depart and return to Stockbridge Transit Center. **Advance registration and $20 fee required.

8:00am – 10:30am: Rehder Ranch Guided Bird Walk led by Rebecca Weiss, author of Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley.

Bird at this historic sheep ranch along Harrison Creek that is surrounded by willows, aspens, and open fields. **Advance registration and $20 fee required.

8:30am – 10:30am: Yampa Preserve Guided Bird Walk led by Lisa and Paul Williams, Yampa Valley Birding Club

Bird at this property owned by The Nature Conservancy that harbors one of the largest remaining examples of a rare riparian forest type dominated by narrowleaf cottonwood, box elder maple, and red-osier dogwood. **Advance registration and $20 fee required.

8:30am – 9:30am: TS Jost Crane-friendly Ranch Tour by Wagon led by Cosmo and Captain.

Join local ranchers Sharon and Terry Jost for a crane-friendly ranch tour at the TS Jost Ranch. Enjoy a wagon ride powered by horses Captain and Cosmo, while learning how agriculture and Sandhill Cranes coexist. The wagon ride will traverse some uneven terrain (expect a few bumps!) as the ranch owners tour you around their beautiful and productive fields that they share with the cranes.  **Advance registration and $15 fee required.

9:00am – 10:30am; 10:30am – 12:00pm; 12:00pm – 1:30pm: Scenic Excursion by Pontoon Boat led by Julie Arington – Steamboat Lake State Park Marina

Enjoy a scenic tour around Steamboat Lake located in North Routt. Julie will guide you through the ecology and birds of the area. Choose from 3 separate boat rides. Colorado State Park sticker required for parking. Day pass can be purchased for $10. **Advance registration and $35 fee required.

9:30am – 10:30am: Photography Workshop led by Chris Becea, Morning Light Photography – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Chris will cover the fundamentals of photography, from digital SLR camera controls, composition, lighting and tips for successful crane photography.

10:00am – 12:00pm: Nature-journaling Workshop led by Ellen Bonnifield and Cindy Wither – Bud Werner Memorial Library

Author Ellen Bonnifield and artist Cindy Wither share techniques to enhance your nature journaling experience. This workshop introduces the basics of nature journaling including materials, approaches and styles, and references. Using art to enhance the journal adds visual elements and color to your journal. Participants will have the opportunity to start their own journal. Meet at Bud Werner Memorial Library’s Small Meeting Room (2nd floor), then move outdoors. Fee includes a journaling notebook. **Advance registration and $25 fee required.

11:00am – 12:15pm: “From Birder to Birder Murder – the Mystery Continues” by Steve Burrows, birder murder mystery author – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Author Steve Burrows will quickly recap some of the material from his previous festival presentation in 2021 and then go on to discuss recent adventures in Antarctica, Singapore and especially Bhutan – where cranes take center stage!  **Book sale and signing will follow the talk.

12:30pk – 1:15pm: “Aldo Leopold, the Land Ethic, and A Sand County Almanac:  The making of an American Classic” by Buddy Huffaker, Aldo Leopold Foundation – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

While Aldo Leopold’s impact on the conservation movement is broad and deep, he is mostly known as the author of the now classic A Sand County Almanac.  Celebrating its 75thanniversary in 2024, A Sand County Almanac has been translated into sixteen languages and serves as one of the foundational texts for anyone that cares about people and places.  But becoming a classic doesn’t happen overnight, it requires great writing, and often a few twists of fate.  Buddy will provide a quick biographical sketch of Aldo Leopold (but catch the showing of Green Fire for a full biographical profile of Leopold) and then focus on the people and events that have kept A Sand County Almanac relevant for 75 years, continuing to inform and inspire a conservation ethic all over the world.  And yes, cranes are part of this success story!

1:30pm – 2:30pm: A Sand County Almanac Discussion led by Buddy Huffaker – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Whether you are new to A Sand County Almanac, or you have read it hundreds of times, bring your questions and reactions to a community book discussion of Aldo Leopold’s groundbreaking environmental classic led by Buddy Huffaker a festival speaker and the executive director of the Aldo Leopold Foundation.  The discussion will follow the group’s interests across the book as a whole but will also focus on a couple of sections to examine some of the deeper meaning and values in Leopold’s writing.  For the purposes of this conversation pay particular attention to the following sections: the Foreword, Marshland Elegy, Thinking Like a Mountain, and The Outlook.  Copies of the book are readily available to borrow from Bud Werner Library, or purchase a copy for your personal library from Off the Beaten Path Bookstore in Steamboat or the Aldo Leopold Foundation.

3:00pm – 3:45pm: ; 4:00pm – 4:45pm: Pollinators: Hummingbirds and Hummingbird Moths led by Ted Floyd, editor of Birding Magazine, with introduction by Andrew Floyd – Yampa River Botanic Park

Short introduction followed by a pollinator walk at a relaxed-pace. Meet at the Trillium House within the Botanic Park. Choose from 2 separate walks. **Advance registration and $15 fee required.

4:00pm – 6:00pm: Crane Festival Happy Hour at Yampa Valley Brewing Hop House

Join fellow “craniacs” at the Yampa Valley Brewing Company’s Hop House located just across the street from the Bud Werner Library.

5:00pm – 8:00pm: First Friday Artwalk

Check out the crane art in the art galleries in downtown Steamboat Springs.

All Day: Educational crane displays outside Library Hall at the Bud Werner Memorial Library.

Saturday, September 2, 2023

5:45am – 8:45am: Guided Sunrise Crane Viewing – Stockbridge Transit Center

Shuttles will transport you to two locations where you can get off the shuttles to view the cranes flying overhead and feeding in agricultural fields. Sandra Noll and Erv Nichols will address your questions and provide pertinent info about Sandhill Cranes and their behavior to enhance your crane viewing experience. The shuttles depart and return to Stockbridge Transit Center. **Advance registration and $20 fee required.

7:45am – 9:45am: Fish Creek Falls Guided Bird Walk led by Chip Clouse, ProStaffer for Opticron optics and long-time bird tour leader

Bird at the scenic waterfall just outside of town in montane shrubland and aspen groves. Note: There is a $5/day vehicle day use fee.**Advance registration and $20 fee required.

8:00am – 10:30am: Mt. Harris History and Guided Bird Walk led by Lisa and Paul Williams, Yampa Valley Birding Club, with history talk by Laurel Watson, curator of Hayden Museum

Learn about this historic coal-mining town and bird along the Yampa River’s unique cottonwood-dogwood-box elder maple plant community.
**Advance registration and $20 fee required.

8:30am – 10:30am: Carpenter Ranch Guided Bird Walk led by Ted Floyd, editor of Birding magazine, assisted by Andrew Floyd.

Bird at The Nature Conservancy’s historic Carpenter Ranch, a birdwatcher’s paradise located along the Yampa River west of Steamboat Springs.
**Advance registration and $20 fee required.

9:00am – 10:00am: Birding the Steamboat Springs Core Trail led by Rebecca Weiss, author of Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley

Join birding guide, author, and naturalist, Rebecca Weiss, for a casual stroll along the core trail outside the Bud Werner Library. No registration required but limited to the first 15 people who show up. As you walk along the trail that parallels the Yampa River, Rebecca will help you identify the birds and other fauna of the area. Bring binoculars, water, and wear comfortable shoes. Meet on the core trail next to the Bud Werner Library parking lot. This walk will be easy and on a paved surface.

9:00am – 10:30am: Sketch-a-Bird Workshop taught by local artist, Leslie Lovejoy with Nature’s Educators live birds and crane taxidermy – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

All ages welcome and supplies provided. Meet in Library Hall for this FREE workshop. No registration required.

10:00am – 11:30am: Children and Family Activities – Library Lawn near the raptor booth and Children’s Library

Enjoy educational bird and nature activities presented by Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Yampatika.

10:00am – 12:00pm: Guided Nature Walk led by botanist and naturalist, Karen Vail – Steamboat Ski Resort

Take the gondola up at the Ski Resort to learn about the flora, the animals, and the forest habitat at the Ski Resort, complete with amazing views of the valley. The walk will involve a gondola ride to the top of Thunderhead and walking up to 1 mile on an uneven dirt road. Meet at the entrance to the gondola at Steamboat Ski Resort. Passes to ride the gondola are included as part of registration.
**Advance registration and $30 fee required.

11:00am – 4:00pm: Nature’s Educators Live Raptor Booth – Library Lawn near Children’s Library

Visit with live owls and other raptors on the Library Lawn. This is a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with amazing birds of prey. Learn more about Nature’s Educators.

11:30am – 12:30pm: “Sandhill Crane Conservation in Northwest Colorado” by Erin Gelling, Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Sandhill Cranes in Northwest Colorado are part of the Rocky Mountain flock of Greater Sandhill Cranes. These cranes nest, raise their young, and gather in the fall at staging areas before migrating south. Learn why Sandhill Cranes are important here, why we want to conserve them, and what the Colorado Crane Conservation Coalition is doing to help conserve these iconic birds.

1:00pm – 1:15pm: Photo Contest and Creative Arts Scholarship Contest Awards – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

1:30pm – 2:45pm: KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: “50 years of Crane Conservation: Reflecting Back, Flying Forward” by Rich Beilfuss, International Crane Foundation – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Cranes, with their deep cultural connections, high visibility, extraordinary beauty, dramatic migrations, and striking behaviors, serve as flagships and ambassadors for conservation on five continents. Cranes also are among the most endangered families of birds in the world, with long-term impacts of wetland and grassland destruction, water diversions, climate change, fires, invasive species, illegal trade, shootings, and other threats. We will share lessons learned from 50 years of conservation action, and innovative ways forward to recover endangered crane populations and promote healthy wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural lands through the charisma of cranes. In these divided times, we will share how cranes can bring us together to protect threatened lands, sustain water resources, combat climate change, and improve community livelihoods and well-being in Asia, Africa, and North America. We’ll also explore what it will take to fully recover Whooping Cranes from the brink of extinction and keep Sandhill Cranes successful across our rich agricultural landscapes.

4:30pm – 8:45pm: Carpenter Ranch Picnic Dinner and Talk, followed by guided crane viewing at sunset

This event will be held at The Nature Conservancy’s historic Carpenter Ranch in Hayden. Enjoy a buffet-style dinner from Big Air Catering or bring your own food. Please note that you must be registered for a shuttle to attend the Carpenter Ranch Picnic; no private cars will be allowed.
Advance registration and $20 fee required for shuttles to this event.
Advance registration and $20 to order buffet-style picnic dinner with vegetarian, vegan, gluten free options available.

4:30pm: Shuttles depart from the Stockbridge Transit Center in Steamboat (directions here). Shuttles arrive at the Carpenter Ranch between 5:00 and 5:15pm
5:00pm – 6:15pm: Enjoy a buffet dinner or your own picnic dinner. Lemonade and water will be provided.
6:15pm – 6:45pm: Presentation by Ted Floyd, author, birder extraordinaire, and editor of Birding magazine, assisted by Andrew Floyd.
6:45pm: All shuttles leave the Carpenter Ranch for guided crane viewing.
8:45pm: (approx.) Shuttles arrive back at the Stockbridge Transit Center in Steamboat.
Please note that NO private cars will be allowed to follow the crane viewing shuttles.

All day: Educational crane displays outside Library Hall at the Bud Werner Memorial Library.

Sunday, September 3, 2023

5:45am – 8:45am: Guided Sunrise Crane Viewing – Stockbridge Transit Center

Shuttles will transport you to two locations where you can get off the shuttles to view the cranes flying overhead and feeding in agricultural fields. Sandra Noll and Erv Nichols will address your questions and provide pertinent info about Sandhill Cranes and their behavior to enhance your crane viewing experience. The shuttles depart and return to Stockbridge Transit Center.  **Advance registration and $20 fee required.

6:45am – 10:30am: Marabou Ranch Bird Outing led by Rebecca Weiss, author of Birds of Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley, and Karen Whitney of the Yampa Valley Birding Club

Go birding throughout Marabou, a unique private ranch preservation community and working cattle and hay ranch. **Advanced registration and $30 fee required.

8:00am – 10:00am: Loudy-Simpson Guided Bird Walk led by Forrest Luke and Alan Reishus

Bird walk at Northwest Colorado’s best migrant trap, Loudy-Simpson Park in Craig. **Advanced registration and $20 fee required.

8:30am – 10:30am: Yampa Preserve Guided Bird Walk led by Ted Floyd, editor of Birding magazine, and Andrew Floyd.

Bird at this property owned by The Nature Conservancy that harbors one of the largest remaining examples of a rare riparian forest type dominated by narrowleaf cottonwood, box elder maple, and red-osier dogwood. **Advance registration and $20 fee required.

9:00am – 10:00am: Birding the Steamboat Springs Core Trail led by Rich Beilfuss, President and CEO of the International Crane Foundation

Join Rich, our keynote speaker, for a casual stroll along the core trail outside the Bud Werner Library. No registration required but limited to the first 15 people who show up. As you walk along the trail that parallels the Yampa River, Rich will help you identify the birds and other fauna of the area. Bring binoculars, water, and wear comfortable shoes. Meet on the core trail next to the Bud Werner Library parking lot. This walk will be easy and on a paved surface.

9:00am – 10:00am: TS Jost Crane-friendly Ranch Tour by Wagon led by Cosmo and Captain.

Join local ranchers Sharon and Terry Jost for a crane-friendly ranch tour at the TS Jost Ranch. Enjoy a wagon ride powered by horses Captain and Cosmo, while learning how agriculture and Sandhill Cranes coexist. The wagon ride will traverse some uneven terrain (expect a few bumps!) as the ranch owners tour you around their beautiful and productive fields that they share with the cranes. **Advance registration and $15 fee required.

10:00am – 11:00am: Crane Yoga led by Liz Leipold – Library Lawn at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Join yoga instructor Liz Leipold for a gentle yoga sequence about the life of the cranes, from calling, meeting, dancing, hatching, and growing up. Bring your own mat/towel. All ages welcome.

10:30am – 12:30pm: Nature’s Educators Live Raptor Booth – Library Lawn near Children’s Library

Visit with live owls and other raptors on the Library Lawn. This is a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with amazing birds of prey. Learn more about Nature’s Educators.

11:15am – 12:15pm: “Cranes of the World” by Sandra Noll, naturalist and crane expert – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Abundant in visual imagery and storytelling, the program opens with an overview of the natural history, cultural symbolism and mythology of cranes followed by a brief introduction to the International Crane Foundation (ICF) and its role in crane conservation. Unique characteristics of each of the world’s 15 crane species are then highlighted beginning in Africa and ending with the two species found only in North America: the abundant Sandhill Crane and highly endangered Whooping Crane. This program was inspired by the organizational integrity and important work of the International Crane Foundation.

12:30pm – 1:30pm: Wild Films: A Trio of Shorts, including Mates for Life and two films from the International Wildlife Film Festival – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Mates for Life is a film series motivated by the natural phenomenon of species that mate for life. This first film of the series focuses on the Whooping Crane, an endangered species with a population of a little over 800. This intimate interpretation inspired by avian movement will engage both supporters of conservation and the arts.

Counting Cranes:  Imagine trying to count hundreds of thousands of birds in a matter of seconds. This is what Andy Caven does every spring… from a plane. In March, almost a million sandhill cranes pass through Nebraska’s Platte River Valley. For the past 20 years, the Crane Trust has conducted aerial surveys of sandhill crane roosts to get an accurate count of the number of birds that pass through. Andy and his team take us behind the scenes to show us how this is done, what they have learned, and why it’s important.

Iridescent: When it comes to the discovery and documentation of birds, Tim Laman is one of the best in the world. As he entered the final curation stages of his forthcoming book, Bird Planet, fellow bird lover and National Geographic photographer Keith Ladzinski reached out with an opportunity to go on safari in one of the world’s birding hotspots, Brazil’s Pantanal region. It had been on Tim’s bucket list for years but he had yet to visit, so he jumped at the chance to photograph some of South America’s best birds.

11:30am – 1:30pm: Bag Lunch and iNaturalist Workshop led by Katie Weeks, Yampa Valley Birding Club.

Participants will learn how to use iNaturalist and Seek by iNat app while learning about insects, butterflies, reptiles, amphibians, and birds at the historic Carpenter Ranch near Hayden, Colorado. This event is suitable for people of all ages, including families and children; no experience necessary. Bring your lunch and your smartphones and we’ll show you how to learn about nature with technology! Carpenter Ranch is known as a birdwatcher’s paradise (over 150 species on the ranch bird list) located along the Yampa River 20 miles west of Steamboat Springs. The ranch also offers a remarkably diverse variety of insects. The Nature Conservancy (TNC) acquired the ranch in 1996 as the centerpiece of its broader effort to conserve the natural and agricultural heritage of the Yampa River Valley. Today, the Conservancy manages this historic, biologically significant property as a working cattle ranch to explore ways to simultaneously pursue agricultural production and the conservation of streamside and wetland habitats. **Advanced registration and $15 fee required.

2:00pm – 3:00pm: “What a Hoot” by Nature’s Educators – Library Hall at Bud Werner Memorial Library

Learn about owls and the physical and behavioral adaptations they have that help them survive in their environment. Meet some real owls and learn their personal stories and amazing features. All ages are welcome for this FREE event.

All day: Educational crane displays outside Library Hall at the Bud Werner Memorial Library.

Date: Thursday, August 31, 2023 - Sunday, September 3, 2023

Location: Various Towns in CO

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