Whooping Crane Conservation Lecture at Angleton Branch

Whooping crane conservation history and current issues will be the topic presented by Dr. Felipe Chavez-Ramirez, programming director for the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, at 6:30 p.m. on April 30 at the Angleton Library, a branch of Brazoria County Library System. The topic is part of the branch’s Nature Night at the Library series.

Chavez-Ramirez earned his Masters and PhD from Texas A&M and has served as an adjunct professor in wildlife ecology. His research has centered on the ecology and conservation of migratory birds including the whooping crane and Cuban sandhill crane. Chavez-Ramirez has also conducted studies with migratory raptors and grassland birds in wintering areas and wading bird habitat along the Texas Gulf Coast.

The Gulf Coast Bird Observatory was formed in 1993 from a coalition of eight organizations to protect birds and their habits in and around the Gulf of Mexico. Over the years GCBO has become recognized as an innovative organization, designing and conducting large conservation projects, migration studies, and habitat mapping.

The whooping crane is the international symbol for conservation because of its continued survival despite being near extinction in the 1940s, with only 16 surviving birds at the time. The surviving population, which breeds in Canada and winters in Texas, has grown to 300 but is still critically endangered. Preserving habitats in Canada and Texas are critical to its survival.

The Angleton Library is located at 401 E. Cedar Street. For more information, call the library at 979-864-1519.