Stephanie Schmidt

Lead Outreach Biologist for the International Crane Foundation

Stephanie Schmidt is the Lead Outreach Biologist for the International Crane Foundation and works with the eastern population of Whooping Cranes. Stephanie grew up in southeastern Wisconsin, a region that is known for its many Sandhill Cranes, and this ignited her early love for birds, wetlands, and nature. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison to earn her bachelor’s degree in Zoology and Environmental Studies in 2018. In 2022, she earned her master’s degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Stephanie Schmidt

Talk: "Whooping Cranes in the Eastern Migratory Population"

In the 1940s, Whooping Cranes, once native across North America, faced near extinction as a result of increased threats from habitat loss, hunting, and more. It wasn’t until 2001 that Whooping Cranes returned to the eastern United States following a collaborative reintroduction program led by the International Crane Foundation (ICF). Today, around 68 Whooping Cranes make up this population, the majority of which breed in central Wisconsin each year. Please join Stephanie Schmidt, Lead Outreach Biologist for the International Crane Foundation, to learn about the Whooping Cranes of the Eastern Migratory Population and the work ICF and crane conservation partners are doing to safeguard their future. Following this presentation, you will be able to identify Whooping Cranes by sight and sound, understand the historical threats towards Whooping Cranes that led to their decline, know the ins and outs of the reintroduction program and the current work crane conservation partners are doing to protect cranes throughout their flyways and find out how you can be an ambassador for cranes in your community.