Wisconsin Conservationists in China

The International Crane Foundation, located in Baraboo, Wisconsin is making efforts to help stabilize China's crane populations as well as their economy. Located in the Guizhou province of southern China, the International Crane Foundation has developed a way to help this country's poorest region while helping preserve their crane populations. The foundation is providing $100 loans to villagers who are willing to start environmentally friendly businesses with in the Caohai Nature Reserve area. This form of micro-lending has proven successful in other parts of the world, specifically Africa, and is also showing its success in China. Since the Guizhou province is the poorest in China, programs have tried to lend a reaching hand and often failed. The success of the foundation's program, however, can be credited to the balance between the programs focus on benefiting the local environment as well as the people.

The Caohai Nature Reserve is one of the foundations target areas. The reserve lies between the Guizhou-Yunnan border and is home to the black-necked crane. This crane is often hard to see due to its attraction to high altitudes. This four foot tall crane has average populations in the Caohai Reserve around 400, and about 5,600 worldwide. These populations are ensured longer lives and stronger genetic diversity as long as the local farmers continue to focus on their environmentally safe businesses. The efforts between Wisconsin and China create connections across oceans and cultural boundaries and focus on a common passion for the wildlife that surrounds us. As local farmers in the Caohai Reserve say, "The cranes are like our friends."

     Black-Necked Crane

Information and Picture from the International Crane Foundation and the Chicago Sun- Times (7-22-2001)