Crane Event Moved To January With Name Change

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has announced that the 16th Annual Cherokee-Crane Days (formerly the Cherokee Indian Heritage and Sandhill Crane Viewing Days), has shortened the name, expanded the event to include both Saturday and Sunday, and moved the date to January 19-20, 2008.

TWRA co-sponsors the free educational festival with the Tennessee Wildlife Federation and partnerships with the nearby Birchwood School each year.  “We are experiencing several changes that should prove to make the event better for the future”, said Tom Scott TWF event coordinator.

“First we had to move the event to an earlier date in the year when there is still enough corn in the fields at the TWRA Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge to hold the thousands of sandhill and a handful of whooping cranes that rest there on their annual migration.  Next, we expanded the festival to three venues that include the wildlife at the Refuge, Cherokee Indian heritage at the Cherokee Indian Removal Memorial, located just beside the Refuge, and this year, for the first time, Birchwood School will be open with both days with their efforts aimed at children’s conservation education along with their usual food and related displays.

Shuttles will be available to run from the school and transport visitors to the Refuge and Cherokee Memorial.  We have plans to have wildlife related lectures at the Refuge under heated circus style tents and partnership with the Tennessee Ornithological Society to provide high quality speakers and educational information,” said Dan Hicks, TWRA Information and Education Coordinator.

TWRA and TWF are proud to also partnership with the Tennessee Aquarium and Ijams Nature center to provide more wildlife education programs.
Organizers are in the process of confirming lecture series events and more information will be available at tnwildlife.org in November.

The annual event has been named one of the biggest outdoor festivals in the Southeast and draws thousands of visitors to the area to experience the sandhills and whooping cranes and other wildlife along with conservation and Cherokee Indian heritage educational programs, crafts and displays.