Reverse the Red Day 2026: Looking Back on Our Whooping Crane Pledge

On Reverse the Red Day, we’re reflecting on the hands-on work that makes recovery possible and taking a look back at the pledge we made in 2025 to protect the Endangered whooping crane. Since 1992, we’ve led Canada’s only conservation breeding program for whooping cranes, working together with our partners to help bolster wild populations with the goal of one day establishing a self-sustaining population.

Over the past year, we have made great strides in our efforts to ensure the future of this beautiful bird. We’re celebrating some key accomplishments, including:

• Welcoming the first whooping crane chicks to hatch at the Archibald Biodiversity Centre, marking a milestone since the species was previously cared for at our other facility
• Conducting field research in Wood Buffalo National Park with partners from Canadian Wildlife Service and Parks Canada
• Developing a new diagnostic tool to support fieldwork
• Strengthening partnerships and collaboration at the second annual Northern Whooping Crane Festival in Fort Smith

As we look ahead to 2026, we are continuing to:

• Support long-term recovery in partnership with others
• Integrate chicks hatched under our care into our conservation breeding program
• Releasing chicks hatched under our care into migratory or non-migratory populations with support from our partners, the International Crane Foundation

Every action counts in reversing the red, turning the threat of extinction into a story of hope.