'Cranes: Ambassadors for Conservation' talk at Friends of Hackmatack annual meeting

Richard Beilfuss, president of the International Crane Foundation, will be the featured speaker at the Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge annual meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 14, in Richmond, Illinois. He will describe how crane conservation is saving unique landscapes around the world.

Members of the public are invited to this free program. The annual meeting will be held at Memorial Hall, 10308 Main St. in Richmond. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. for networking and refreshments with the program to begin at 7 p.m.

The Friends groups also will present the inaugural Tamarack Award to the Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee that evening. It has been a constant champion of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge which celebrates the fifth anniversary of its establishment this November.

Cranes are among the most endangered families of birds in the world, with 11 of 15 species threatened and many populations in peril. Beilfuss will explore the role of cranes as ambassadors for saving diverse wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural systems around the world including the Mekong Delta of Vietnam and the floodplains of the great Zambezi River of Africa. He also will share lessons learned from the struggle to bring back the iconic North American whooping cranes from the brink of extinction.

The mission of Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge is to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural resources, rural character and scenic beauty of the Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge and to connect people to these resources. More information can be found at hackmatacknwr.org.

For questions, contact Cindy Skrukrud, Friends of Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge, at 815-353-5123.