PAUL J. CURRIER
1952-2003

DONIPHAN, NEBRASKA -- Paul Jon Currier, 50, of Doniphan died Saturday, April 19, 2003, at Bryan LGH East in Lincoln, following complications from heart surgery. Services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Mark's Episcopal Pro-Cathedral in Hastings. The Rev. Richard J. Martindale will officiate. Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday, with the family receiving friends from 6 to 7, at Apfel-Butler-Geddes Funeral Home in Hastings {Correction: Grand Island}.

Currier was born Oct. 11, 1952, in Detroit to James G. and Betty J. (Brink) Currier. Survivors of the immediate family include a brother and sister-in-law, Mark and Patti Currier of Hastings, Mich.; and a sister, Sue McGuire of Corunna, Mich. Other survivors include two nephews, Bryan McGuire of Corunna, Mich., and Brad Currier of Hastings, Mich.; one niece, Kelly McGuire of Corunna, Mich.; an uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Brink of Kalamazoo, Mich.; and many cousins.

Paul grew up and received his education at Grand Rapids, Mich. He received his B.S. degree in Biology in 1974 from Alma College in Alma, Mich., his M.S. degree in 1979 and his Ph.D degree in 1982 in Botany (Plant Ecology) from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

In 1981, Paul joined the Platte River Whooping Crane Habitat Maintenance Trust, a land-based conservation organization headquartered near Wood River and in 1995 became Executive Director. During the past six years he has been an active participant in the Platte River Cooperative Agreement, a basin-wide forum including Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, the Department of the Interior, water users and environmental interests. In July of 2002, Paul was appointed to the Governor's Water Policy Task force that is examining Nebraska water law related to the connection between groundwater and surface water. During the past six summers, Paul has taught a four-week wetland ecology class for Iowa State University at the Iowa Lakeside Lab.

Paul was a member of St. Mark's Episcopal Pro-Cathedral in Hastings, Neb. He was also a member of the following societies and organizations: British Ecological Society, Society of Wetland Scientists, Society for Range Management, Natural Areas Association, Prairie/Plains Resource Institute, Whooping Crane Conservation Association, International Crane Foundation, Nebraska Chapter Wildlife Society, Nebraska Academy of Sciences and the Nature Conservancy.

He was an Eagle Scout and enjoyed gardening, hunting, canoeing, sailing and foreign travel. He has visited China, Tibet, Nepal, Turkey, East Africa and the British Virgin Islands in recent years.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Gary M. Currier. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Platte River Whooping Crane Habitat Maintenance Trust or the donor's choice.

© The Grand Island Independent (Publication Date: 04/21/03)

In 1996 Jake Valentine (right) became the first recipient of the L. H. Walkinshaw Crane Conservation Award in honor of his long-time contribution to the study and conservation of cranes.

Dr. Lawrence "Larry" Walkinshaw died 16 January 1993 at the age of 88. He was born 25 February 1904 in Calhoun County, Michigan, and graduated from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry in 1929. Though a dentist by training, he was a leading authority on cranes on which he published 61 articles and two books: The Sandhill Cranes (1949) and Cranes of the World (1973). He described the Canadian sandhill crane (Grus canadensis rowani) in 1965. He published on other species as well, most notably Kirtland’s warbler, but he was first and foremost a "crane man."

Larry remained an active field ornithologist throughout his life. In 1934, on foot with Clara, his wife and to-be-field companion of 62 years, he recorded some of the first survey data on cranes and other birds in a remote area of the Michigan Upper Peninsula on what is now Seney National Wildlife Refuge, before it was a refuge. After retiring from dentistry, he divided time between homes near sandhill crane habitat in Florida and Michigan. Larry was a master bird observer, world crane lover, determined nest finder, and meticulous data collector. For many years there were few papers on cranes published in North America for which he did not serve as a refereeing authority. The dedication of the proceedings of the First International Crane Workshop to Dr. Walkinshaw appropriately identified him as "The Father of International Studies of Gruiformes." He was the constant mentor to succeeding generations of crane researchers.

One of Larry’s abiding concerns was recovery of the whooping crane. He participated in some of the original aerial searches to locate the then unknown breeding grounds of the only remaining migratory population before its eventual discovery in 1954. During his lifetime he saw the species climb back from a perilous low of 22 birds to nearly 250, with captive populations established and efforts underway to reintroduce whooping cranes to former range.

This kind and gentle man, whose contributions to science never flagged, will be missed by those of us who benefited from his counsel and were inspired by his spirit. The Dr. L. H. Walkinshaw Memorial Scholarship Fund has been established in his honor in the Department of Ornithology at Cornell University. The North American Crane Working Group has instituted the L. H. Walkinshaw Crane Conservation Award to recognize the outstanding crane biologists following in his footsteps. His life spanned 10 decades; his legacy will live forever.

Tom was an extremely productive scientist; his accomplishments fill many pages and can only be touched upon here. From 1990 to 1995 he secured more than 1 million dollars in grant money, the most by any professor at Texas A & M Kingsville. His motto for his graduate students at Southern Illinois University, where he worked from 1983 to 1990, was "work, work, work." As a major professor (I was 1 of his 22 graduate students), he set the ultimate example of dedication and diligence by working long hours, often leaving his office late in the day after the graduate students. His lemon-yellow VW Bug was often the only vehicle in the staff parking lot early in the morning and late in the evening. Tom "adopted" graduate students; he spent long hours in the advising process, ensuring that everything from funding to political well-being was satisfied.

Tom earned his B.S. degree from Kansas State University in 1973, M.S. from South Dakota State in 1976, and Ph.D. from Oklahoma State in 1981. He had a deep appreciation for wetlands and their avian inhabitants, and this is reflected in his accomplishments. His Master’s work was on Canada geese and his Ph.D. on Mid-continent sandhill cranes. He was actively involved at crane workshops. More of his 71 publications dealt with cranes (30) than any other single species or topic.

Tom loved cranes. As his only "crane student," he took liberties to share his thoughts (and sense of humor) about cranes with me. He would say things like "There are cranes and then there are dickie-birds!" In discussing his heavy involvement with studies of Canada geese, he would say "They aren’t cranes but they are perhaps the next best thing."

Tom worked hard to convey the importance of the North Platte River Valley as a staging area for Mid-continent sandhill cranes. When Tom escaped university walls to pay me a visit on our North Platte study area, he was transformed from a rather serious, stern professor into a "kid with a new toy." Speaking of the sandhill cranes, he would say "They may not be the prettiest bird but they sure have a lot of character!" It was appropriate that Tom’s ashes be spread in that valley where he studied his favorite species.