Countdown to Migration: September 29, 2006 Bookmark the Whooping Crane Home Page Chick Chat: All Chicks Now in One Group Update Your Training Timeline Getting to Know the Flock: Crane Quiz #4 This Week's Booklet: "Life at Camp O.M." Reminder: Join Students to MOBIL-ize the Migration: Gas Money for the Cranes Countdown to Migration—Posted Every Friday Chick Chat: All Chicks Now in One Group All eighteen birds are not only living in one pen, but finally training together as migration gets closer. This week brought the first flight of the combined cohorts, with pilot Chris leading a long string of birds. “I rolled up to the pen doors, turned on my loudspeaker to broadcast the brood call, and gave Marie and Robert the thumbs up signal. They swung open the pen doors and the birds stampeded out onto the runway looking very excited to get underway.” What happened next? Chris tells about flight school on September 25: Eighteen Birds Train Together Team members are taking turns for their last home visits before migration starts. Three members of the First Family are back on their Wisconsin territory, fattening up for migration. But the other chick is still missing. Click here to see a photo of the banded female chick on the latest pages in the First Family’s story. What else do we now know about the new flock's first wild chick? Update Your Training Timeline You can add “all three cohorts training together” to your own timeline for the newest members of the Eastern flock. The chicks "are now are as tall or taller than me when they lift their beaks up high," says Laurie, one of their favorite costumed crane handlers. See milestones and key events (with links to the latest photo stories): Key Timeline Events: Hatch Year 2006 Laurie stands by a life-size crane adult and chick display. >> Photo Wayne Kryduba Meet the New Cranes! Photo WCEP Meet the Flock: Getting to Know the Cranes We've updated some of the chick’s stories again after talking with the pilots and trainers. You'll find this year's photos and life stories here: Meet the Flock, Hatch Year 2006 Crane Quiz #4 While you're on the biography pages, look for some answers. Dig into four new questions in Crane Quiz #4 as you meet the flock: Crane Quiz #4 (Printer-friendly version with answer spaces) This Week's Booklet to Build Background Knowledge: "Life at Camp O.M." What important lessons are the chicks learning in flight school at Camp O.M.? (O.M. stands for Operation Migration, the folks who lead the cranes south with pilots and ultralight airplanes.) Do the chicks get report cards? (Yes!) What is a training session like? Find answers in the fourth kids' booklet in our series of six. Each booklet comes in PDF format ready to print, fold, and enjoy. Each comes with a Teacher Guide (with lesson links) and also a booklet slide-show format to view on the Web. Plan on two more booklets to build background for the upcoming migration.   "Life at Camp O.M." (Printer-friendly, downloadable kids' booklet) Teacher Guide Web Version "Slide Show" for this booklet   Reminder: Join Students MOBIL-ize the Migration: Gas Money for the Cranes Students at Kennedy Montessori School in Louisville, Kentucky are in high gear. They have an idea to help fill the gas tanks of the ultralight planes. How? They wrote letters and folded paper cranes and mailed them to the leader of ExxonMobil. They chose ExxonMobil because this corporation has what it takes—gasoline—to get the crane-kids to Florida. We share photos of these terrific students and their work in the hopes that classrooms everywhere will quickly add their own letters and paper cranes. Can everyone working together convince EXXON to MOBIL-ize the migration? Kids can speak out for a cause they believe in. Find details here to join the campaign. Countdown to Migration: Posted Every Friday E-mail Summaries are posted to registered participants on FRIDAYS: Sep 1, 8, 15, 22, 29; Oct 6, 13, 20, 27; Nov. 3, 10, 17. . .or until this year's newest Eastern whooper chicks reach their winter home in Florida! Pre-migration: Each Friday, a brief e-mail notice gives current newsy tidbits and announces a downloadable booklet for building background. During migration: When migration begins (target date is now October 5), the Friday e-mails will summarize the DAILY Highlight Updates that were posted daily on the Web during the week. You'll want to go to the Web for the latest maps, facts, photos, and fun) Also on the Web: Orientation and Welcome to New Participants See You Next Friday, October 6. Will migration 2006 be underway? Copyright 2006 Journey North. All Rights Reserved. Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our Feedback Form. Journey North is pleased to feature this educational adventure presented in cooperation with the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP).