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Apple River) The Eagle Nature Foundation is proud to once again offer its 4-day Wildlife/Historical bus tour to Nebraska on March 18-21, 2013, to witness the annual migratory stopover of Sandhill Cranes. At least 80% of the world’s population of Sandhill Cranes, over 500,000, stop along the Platte River in central Nebraska during the northward migration to their nesting grounds in the far reaches of Canada. They stop to fatten up for the final leg of their journey and get ready for nesting. One evening of the tour is spent on a foot bridge over the Platte River watching the cranes come to the river to roost on the islands at sunset. Besides seeing the cranes, participants may see tens, if not hundreds of thousands of Snow Geese as well. Terrence Ingram, trip leader, will try to point out all of the birds and animals that may be seen during the tour, including Bald Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks, Blue, Snow and Canada geese, Turkeys, many varieties of ducks and colonies of prairie dogs.

A trip to central Nebraska would be amiss if the early history of our pioneers was not observed as well. There are planned stops at Omaha’s Lewis and Clark Museum; Stuhr Pioneer Musuem; Fort Kearny, first fort on the Oregon Trail; the Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, which takes a person through the history and development of the Oregon Trail through to the present Interstate Highway; the Hastings Museum of Natural and Cultural History with the world’s largest display of Whooping Cranes; and the Nebraska Prairie Museum home of a display of one of America’s World War II German Prisoner of War Camps. Other wildlife areas that will be visited include Nebraska’s Rainwater Basins; Crane Meadows; and Rowe Sanctuary and Iain Nicolson Audubon Center with its strawbale building and crane blinds on the Platte River. There will be ample opportunities for photographs. The trip is made even more enjoyable with the great food that is available as the tour stops at a different restaurant for almost every meal.

The tour leaves at 8:00 am, March 14 from Stoney Creek Inn in Galena, IL and returns to Stoney Creek at 6:00 pm, March 21. The cost for the tour is $975 per person, or $875 dbl-occ, check or cash. Anyone who registers before Dec. 31 will receive an early bird discount rate of $875 per person or $775 dbl-occ. Every person who registers for the tour will be covered by trip insurance for this trip. If a person finds that he/she is unable to take the tour for health reasons he/she can get back all of the fees that he/she had paid for the trip. If a person decides not to take the trip for any other reason he/she can get 75% back. For an informational brochure, or to make reservations for this tour, contact: Eagle Nature Foundation, 300 East Hickory St. Apple River, IL 61001, ph 815-594-2306, or register on our website, eaglenature.com If you register on the web site you will be able to pay with Pay Pal and put the payment on your credit card.

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For more information contact: Terrence N. Ingram, Exec. Director, Eagle Nature Foundation, 300 East Hickory St., Apple River, IL 61001 Phone 815-594-2306