Three separate career achievement awards will be presented at the forthcoming 17th North American Crane Workshop to be held in December 2026 in Rockport, Texas.

L. H. Walkinshaw Crane Conservation Award

The Proceedings of the First International Crane Workshop were dedicated to Dr. L. H. Walkinshaw as "The Father of International Studies of Gruiformes." He was a mentor to succeeding generations of crane researchers. This award recognizes the outstanding crane biologists following in his footsteps. Criteria for this award include long-term involvement with conservation of cranes through research, management, education, or application of biological principles to the preservation of cranes in North America. This is our top-tier achievement award.

Paul J. Currier Habitat Conservation Award

This new award honors the life and legacy of Dr. Paul. J. Currier, who completed his doctoral dissertation on the floodplain vegetation of the Platte River and dedicated the rest of his life to adaptive management of that system for the benefit of cranes, other waterbirds, and wetland vegetation, until his untimely death from a heart condition in 2005. He served as the vegetation ecologist and then Executive Director of the Crane Trust for 23 years. He was a pioneer in using heavy machinery to mimic flood pulses to maintain crane habitat and was involved in early efforts to restore hydrologically functional wet meadows. This award is intended for habitat managers and land conservation practitioners working across crane species' ranges at multiple scales and in diverse roles, including those managing national wildlife refuges, state wildlife management areas, land trusts, private lands, and nonprofit conservation organizations.

George Archibald Special Achievement Award

This award is intended to recognize professionals who have dedicated a significant portion of their life to crane conservation through research, adaptive management, policy, education and outreach, and habitat conservation. This award recognizes those that have made a significant contribution over a period of 15 years or more.