William (Bill) Lishman, Canadian inventor, artist, naturalist and ultralight aircraft enthusiast. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, Lishman openly wondered if waterfowl could be taught new migration patterns by following low-speed ultralight aircraft. In 1993, after several years of logistical and bureaucratic setbacks, Lishman successfully led a flock of Canada geese on a winter migration from Ontario, Canada to Northern Virginia. Of the sixteen birds that participated in the migration, thirteen returned to Ontario the following year - entirely on their own. Eventually the principles learned by working with common birds was applied to endangered species such as whooping cranes and trumpeter swans. www.williamlishman.com Since their first successful migration Bill Lishman and Joe Duff, -photographer and avid ultralight pilot from Toronto - worked closely with Canadian and American governments to continue their migration experiments. Granted Charitable status, and assisted by many unpaid volunteers, Operation Migration has continued it's research with ultralight led migrations and the re-introduction of endangered species. In 1999 Operation Migration, led by Joe Duff, was asked by the US Fish and Wildlife Service to spearhead an attempt to reintroduce whooping cranes into eastern North America. As of 2005, the team continues to lead a new generation of whooping cranes on their first migration with the goal of establishing a self sustaining flock by the year 2015. For <b>...</b>
Animals
Nature
Operation
Migration
Canada
geese
Whooping
Cranes
Trumpeter-Swans
William
Lishman
Flight
swedanica
