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 the welcome social, lunches on all three of the following days, the evening banquet meal on 9 December, and the final day 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. Click here for a general map.

Airport Information:

The Corpus Christi International Airport is the closest airport to Rockport, 38 miles away. Car rentals are available at the airport, or you can schedule a ride with Rockport Ride.

Silent Auction:

We are also excited to announce that we will once again be holding our traditional silent auction at the workshop! Proceeds from the auction directly support our student travel awards. If you are able, please consider bringing an item to donate. We welcome a wide variety of auction donations, including but not limited to: handmade items, artwork, books, experiences, or anything else you think others may enjoy! We will collect items throughout the events on Monday and Tuesday for our final bidding to be held at our Wednesday 9 December banquet. Credit cards will be accepted.

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.

We are looking forward to an engaging and productive workshop!