Midwest Regional Public Affairs Specialist Rachel Levin (left) is presented with an award for her outstanding efforts on behalf of the whooping crane reintroduction project.

Rachel Levin, a public affairs specialist and outreach coordinator in the Midwest Region's External Affairs Office, was recently recognized for her work on behalf of the landmark effort to restore whooping cranes in eastern North America. The Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership (WCEP), which is leading this effort, presented Levin with a plaque thanking her for her "outstanding co-leadership" of the partnership's Communications and Outreach Team.

For two years, from 2003 to 2005, Levin served as co-leader of the team with Joan Garland, an education specialist at the International Crane Foundation. Levin continues to play a leadership role on the team, representing FWS Region 3 and continuing to serve as a spokesperson for the reintroduction project. Last year, news media from as close as Necedah, Wis., and Crystal River, Fla., and as far away as India and New Zealand devoted page space, airtime and bandwidth to the Whooping Crane Eastern Partnership.

Once again, media interest peaked in volume during the fall ultralight-led migration, with media on-site at many stopovers and reporters tracking the migration on a daily basis. Throughout the year, however, the project was spotlighted in regional, national and international news media, both print and broadcast. Now in its fifth year, outreach remains a key to WCEP's success. The Communications and Outreach Team--comprising public affairs, outreach, environmental education, information and communications specialists representing all WCEP founding members and a number of other partners, including volunteers, is key to building support for the project through education, media relations and coordinated public outreach efforts. The Communications and Outreach Team is responsible for and directs all aspects of external communications and public contact on behalf of the project. The WCEP partners' mandate to the team is to advance public understanding and continued support for the protection and restoration of whooping cranes and their habitat in eastern North America. The partnership recognizes that a cohesive voice is critical to the project's success. In keeping with its mandate, the Communications and Outreach Team is responsible for developing and implementing specific procedures and protocols for dealing with all communications aspects of the project.