In April of 1976, whooping cranes were on the verge of extinction – until ornithologist George Archibald learned to dance with them. To save the species, he began to devote seven years of his life to mastering the courtship dance of whooping cranes to boost their population and reintroduce them to the wild. Since then, Dr. Archibald has traveled the world to save cranes and the places where they thrive and his visionary leadership in international conservation over the last fifty years has given flight to extraordinary grassroots recovery efforts across the globe. Joining us in the Main Reading Room, Dr. Archibald will regale with the transformative experience that led to the International Crane Foundation (founded along with fellow graduate student Ron Sauey in Baraboo, Wisconsin, as the global headquarters for the study and preservation of cranes), the rescue of this incredible breed of bird, and the dance that saved them.
About George Archibald
The future of many crane species was once as fragile as the delicate and graceful birds themselves. George Archibald’s visionary leadership in international conservation efforts over the past 50 years has given flight to crane conservation worldwide. In 1973, when cranes were in a perilous situation, and many were on the brink of extinction, Archibald and Cornell University colleague Ronald Sauey, Ph.D., established the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin, as the world center for the study and preservation of cranes. Archibald is a true conservation ambassador who uses his unique brand of crane diplomacy to work in sensitive places. He leverages the charisma of cranes to unite people from diverse cultures and countries to work together to preserve the landscapes necessary for the survival of both cranes and people. Born in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, Canada, Archibald received his undergraduate degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1968 and completed his Ph.D. at Cornell University in 1977. In recognition of his many accomplishments, Archibald has received four honorary doctorates and many awards, including the Gold Medal from the World Wildlife Fund, a Fellows Award from the MacArthur Foundation, The Wildlife Conservation Medal from the Zoological Society of San Diego, the Lilly Medal presented by the Indianapolis Zoo, and the Douglas H. Pimlott Award from Nature Canada. In 2013, Archibald was awarded the Order of Canada on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II and received the inaugural Dan W. Lufkin Prize for Environmental Leadership from the National Audubon Society. George lives in the Baraboo countryside, where he enjoys gardening and being an active member of the Baraboo Optimist Club.
