Join us for the 17th North American Crane Workshop to be held at the Rockport Conference Center (ROCC) in Rockport, Texas, 7-10 December 2026! The theme of this year's workshop will be "Back to the Bay: Celebrating Cranes and the Unique Ecology of the Gulf Coast". The workshop will include a welcome reception on Monday evening, two days of scientific presentations and plenaries, a closing banquet on Wednesday evening, and field trips to see Whooping Cranes by boat on The Skimmer and to learn about habitat management at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on Thursday. We look forward to hearing from you about all aspects of crane conservation and research.

Registration:

Workshop registration can be found HERE. The Registration fee (Students-$150, All others-$300, plus a 2.5% transaction fee) includes lunches for all three days, a welcome social, a banquet meal on the last night, and the field trip, as well as 3 years of NACWG membership (2027-2030).

Scientific Program Update:

The deadline for Abstract submissions was 14 August. Notification of abstract acceptance will occur no later than 15 October.

Hotel information:

Room accommodations are not included in the registration fee, but a block of rooms has been reserved at the Fairfield by Marriott Inn & Suites - (1-hour walk from ROCC but 17-minute walk from Fulton Harbor meeting place for field trips). The group rate can be booked through this link. Additional hotels closer to the conference center include the Village Inn Motel, Blue Wave Inn, and Holiday Inn Express. Please contact the hotel directly to arrange your room accommodations.

Student Travel Awards:

The North American Crane Working Group is happy to provide funding for several student travel awards: up to four $500 awards are available. These awards aim to support and encourage the participation of students conducting crane research, whether at the graduate or undergraduate level. Details and application instructions can be found here.

Career Achievement Awards:

We are also offering three career achievement awards: the L. H. Walkinshaw Crane Conservation Award, the Paul J. Currier Habitat Conservation Award, and the George Archibald Special Achievement Award. Descriptions of each award and nomination requirements can be found here. Nominations should be submitted to the Awards Committee via email at nacwg.board@gmail.com and are open until 14 August 2026.

We are looking forward to an engaging and productive workshop!