Dozens Come Out To St. Marks Festival

Its been nearly a month since they flew in and even though the Whooping Cranes weren’t flying high on Saturday, people were still talking about them at the fourth annual Wildlife heritage and outdoors festival in Saint Marks, Florida.

“Folks that are familiar with the project, when they learn that they have these endangered birds right here are very excited and curious to learn more,” said International Crane Foundation outreach coordinator, Joan Garland.

The Whooping Crane monitoring team was on hand and its members say bird enthusiasts interested in the endangered crane have a lot to look forward to.

“Its a great experience. We really enjoy it. We’ve been doing it a long time. We take great pride in it and we take great pride in the effort,” said Whooping Crane expert, Brooke Pennypacker.

Area residents say the festival provided valuable information and most importantly it highlighted Saint Marks and the surrounding areas.

“It’s really good for the kids. Real educational and it really gets to showcase what Wakulla county’s’ got to offer,” said Wakulla county resident, Lian Callaghan.

“I’m a Wakulla county resident and I really enjoy Wakulla county’s history. It’s a beautiful day out here today and I just love coming out here to see our historical sites that we have out here,” said Wakulla county resident, Rashelle Donaldson.

The festival ended on Saturday and residents have a simple message for those who didn’t’ make it out.

“You’re sure missing a lot if you’re not coming out here,” said Tallahassee resident, Chase Sumner

Organizers say the festival and Whooping Cranes will continue to climb to new heights in years to come.

Whooping Crane monitoring team members will be available to answer questions on Friday’s and Saturday’s throughout the month of February.