Whooping cranes continue to rely on protected areas like Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and Wood Buffalo National Park on the bookends of their migration pathways.  But as the population grows and individual birds establish their territories, they wander out more and more to other types of land. Private land more than ever is utilized throughout the journey from north to south in summer to winter. The mix of wetlands, grasslands, and agricultural fields with waste grain occurs in many places through the flyway– and these birds don’t see ownership boundaries.

Families like the Piersons have the opportunity to coexist and even benefit from the presence of whooping cranes who also seek the life-giving resources on their privately-owned land.  The birds have a safe space to rest and stock up on nutrients and fuel for the next journey, and the people gain the satisfaction that their stewardship is deemed suitable for these remarkable birds. Together for a time, they can wonder and marvel at each other from a distance.

The Pierson family owns land on the Loup River within a translation zone between Loess Hills and southern Sandhills in central Nebraska. They’ve been on their place since the 1880s and today have a diverse operation of cattle, pastures, corn and beans, hay meadows, and restored habitat.