BIRCHWOOD, Tenn. — For more than three and a half decades, the Tennessee Sandhill Crane Festival has drawn thousands of visitors eager to witness one of nature’s most remarkable migrations.
Each year, sandhill cranes travel from the cold Midwest to warmer Florida, passing right over the Tennessee Valley. The Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge has become the perfect resting spot for these towering birds along the way.
“Seeing people witness those birds in mass for the first time is pretty neat,” says Mime Barnes of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. “We have volunteers with spotting scopes set up, so they can see the birds really up close and personal too.
The festival celebrates a dramatic comeback. Federal and state conservation guidelines, including efforts by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, helped the once-dwindling species rebound. Now, guests from across the region come to marvel at the cranes’ size and beauty.
“It’s a great excuse to get outside at a different time of year,” Barnes says. “When it’s a little bit cold, it’s just a great adventure to come out and see a four-foot-tall bird in mass.”…