This is the 2nd year that my friend Annie Jansen and I headed to Decatur, Alabama to celebrate the Festival of the Cranes. The event focuses on the Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes migrating south. The cranes tend to stop at the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge and can be seen in the fields surrounding the WNWF. You can expect to see up to around 10,000 of the Sandhill Cranes in the nearby fields, and between 15,000 to 20,000 of them from the Observation Building located near the visitor’s center.
The festival takes this year took place January 12-14, 2024. For the past two years, I have been hosted by Decatur Morgan County Tourism.
At the Princess Theatre of Performing arts, a former silent film and vaudeville house converted to an Art Deco theater in 1943, they hosted several performances in conjunction with the Festival of the Cranes. These presentations included the Wings to Soar Raptor Program, Steve Trash – Rockin’ Eco Hero!, a film premiere, and the wonderful Teddy Roosevelt Show put on by Joe Wiegand. After a career as a political consultant, Wiegand turned to being a Teddy impersonator. He has presented in all 50 states and at the White House. He also has modeled for a Teddy Roosevelt statue.
The Teddy Roosevelt Show included aspects of President Roosevelt’s life, family, and the connection to Joe Wheeler, who the WNWR is named after. Joe Wheeler was a Confederate General during the Civil War. From Augusta, Georgia, he also served in the Spanish American War, and the Philippine American War. On July 7, 1938, it was Teddy Roosevelt’s relative, President Franklin D. Roosevelt that established the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge that today is home to over 550 birds and is comprised of 35,000 acres. Besides birds, there are over 115 species of fish, 74 species of amphibians, 47 types of mammals and 295 of birds plus mussels and snails!
Teddy Roosevelt’s connection to conservation is clear. On Wiegand’s website about Teddy Roosevelt, Joe Wiegand shares, “Our first conservation president, Theodore Roosevelt preserved two hundred and thirty million acres of parks, forests, national monuments, wildlife refuges, and game preserves.”
While Joe Weigand as Teddy led one of the outdoor bird walks, we chose a walk with Christopher Joe, who met us all at the recently renovated Visitor’s Center. The Visitor’s Center was the focal point where they organized their morning bird walks, and photography sessions. Besides the wonderful displays there is also a fun gift shop as well. They did a bit of crane art at the center creating a fun crane guitar, and I enjoyed the crane origami they created.
A third-generation farmer, Christopher Joe, lives in the black belt ag section of Alabama. He leads birdwatching walks at the family farm. Joe shared that in the black belt ag section of Alabama, “We have a history of cotton. We knew how it grew and that it was King, we knew it well but also diversity in habitat.”
Diverse land brings diverse birds. Joe touched on an event held on his farm, and that was close to his heart, the Alabama Black Belt Festival. “Dad cuts the hay, and the kites (a type of bird) follows. I am excited to spread the joy of birding and getting people together.”
There was a group of around 25 or so birding enthusiasts that headed out on the trail. Annie and I bundled up because it was a bit chilly outside. We learned tips when using binoculars and for sighting birds.
It was really after our walk, along the side of the water, that we saw the Sandhill Cranes up close. This time of year, the Sandhill Cranes migrate from northern Canada and the Great Lakes. They are moving through Indiana, eastern Kentucky and Tennessee and spend their winter in Georgia and Florida. The first sighting of the cranes in Alabama was in 1928, but it wasn’t until the 1990’s that they started arriving in Alabama on a regular basis.
Since three were spotted in 1995, the numbers have doubled and tripled until today you can see 10,000 cranes in the nearby fields. The sound and sight of the cranes is one I will always remember. The only thing that would have made it better would’ve been seeing a Whooping Crane! In 2004, they were sighted for the first time from the WNRN observatory.
The beautiful Historic Union Depot in Decatur was a fun stop. The Depot was built by the Southern Railway in 1905. In line with the Festival of the Cranes, in their model railroad display, they added a new tree filled with cranes, and a train car loaded with the lovely birds! The “crane train” has one car with Sandhill Cranes, and another with the endangered Whooping Cranes!
Annie and I also stopped at the Alabama Center for the Arts playing like kids painting a sandhill crane! I love that they included activities for children and allowed adults to enjoy part of the fun!
At the Carnegie Visual Arts Center, there was an exhibit, “Tread Softly” by Timothy Joe on display. Timothy Joe is Christopher Joe’s brother, and last year during the festival, I saw him getting ready to capture this miraculous event on canvas. It was wonderful to see his work on display. The “Tread Softly” exhibit is a collection of various subject matter. The stories were collected from his hometown of Greensboro Alabama to Florence Italy.
There are wonderful shopping, dining, and lodging options available in “River City”. Decatur is located along the Tennessee River, and the area is filled with art, history, culture, making it a great place to return to again and again. Those interested in agriculture will also find the Farm and Market trail of interest as well. For more details of what there is to do in Decatur, Alabama, check out my blog, Traveling Adventures of a Farm Girl. On the blog site is a connection to my new eBook. Agricultural Treasure Guidebook which outlines agricultural stops through the Midwest and beyond.
Learn more about Cindy on our Contributors’ Page.
Check out Cindy’s new book, Agricultural Treasures Guidebook, available here.
(photo by author)
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