PROCEEDINGS OF THE NINTH NORTH AMERICAN CRANE WORKSHOP: Preface, Dedications, & Awards

Authors

Date of this Version

2005

Document Type

Article

Citation

Copyright © 2005 North American Crane Working Group

Comments

Reproduced by permission of the NACWG.

Abstract

These proceedings include papers presented at the Ninth North American Crane Workshop in Sacramento, California in 2003. In addition, there are a few other papers included in this volume of the proceedings that were not presented at the workshop but were appropriate to include here. I would like to thank previous editors of the proceedings Dave and Cathy Ellis and Richard Urbanek for providing advice and suggestions for dealing with the current proceedings. Others provided input and suggestions and they were all well received and appreciated. I want to thank the associate editors of this issue of the proceedings and all the reviewers who gave their time and effort to improve the quality of papers presented here. I want to especially recognize Mike Webb, who’s help was invaluable in making this volume of the proceedings possible. Mike devoted considerable time and effort in the preparation of this volume. The year 2003, when the Ninth North American Crane Workshop was conducted marked the 25th year anniversary of the incorporation of the North American Crane Working Group in the State of Nebraska. Gary, R. Lingle, Steven Balsano, Alfred Grewe, Brian Johns, Steve Nesbitt, Dale Stahlecker, and Richard Urbanek are named as the original incorporators of the working group and they also comprised the first ever Board of Directors. Some of these individuals continue to be involved with the working group and in crane research and management. As is clear from a perusal of this and previous proceedings that considerable work has been shared at workshops organized since that time, and continues to date. The work conducted has been well documented thanks to the efforts of the North American Crane Working Group and the publication of the Workshop Proceedings. I hope that this effort will continue for many years into the future and that the North American Crane Working Group continues to increase in size, membership, and importance throughout North America. To me it has been inspirational to meet and work with many of those individuals associated with the North American Crane Working Group. It would be hard to find another group of such friendly, dedicated, and devoted conservationists, researchers, and managers. Through my interest in cranes and the interaction with members of the North American Crane Working Group I have also become committed to the mission of the NACW. As the 25th anniversary stretches to the 30th and beyond, many important members of the working group may be reaching the tenure of their participation. It is important to bring new people and younger generations into the membership of the NACW so that they may continue the mission of the NACW. Despite the considerable amount of information presented in this and previous proceedings there is much work yet to be done in better understanding cranes and attempting to protect them. Many information gaps remain still, despite all the effort and time devoted by so many dedicated crane biologists to date. Hopefully, the Proceedings of the North American Crane Workshop will continue to lead the way in documenting important information on cranes into the future for many years to come.