Presentations
Mike shares his conservation work and storytelling projects across the Great Plains and beyond. Explore upcoming and past talks, read testimonials, and book him for your next event.
What People Are Saying
“At a speaking engagement in 2025, Michael Forsberg captivated an audience of over 200 with a powerful visual and learning experience articulated with genuine caring, deep knowledge of cranes, and his kind, humble, yet charismatic personality. Mr. Forsberg’s presentation and book, along with his conservation efforts, give us joy, hope, and concern as we try to fathom the perils that birds face each day, especially the magnificent Whooping Crane as it navigates a rapidly changing world.
— JoAnne Puckett, President, Bighorn Audubon Society“Mike’s talk on Whooping Cranes left us spellbound. His photos and cinematography are breathtaking, but as a born storyteller Mike takes an already fantastic presentation to a whole new level. We all left feeling a strong connection to these magnificent birds, many of whom we got to know by name. Following their journey through “Whooperland” was as much an emotional experience as it was an educational one.”
— Karen Flores, President, Woodside-Atherton Garden Club“Michael Forsberg provided a truly unforgettable presentation. His extraordinary images, quiet wisdom, and masterful storytelling drew us into the world of whooping cranes and sandhill cranes in a way that felt intimate, inspiring, and deeply personal. Grounded in decades of conservation work in the Great Plains and enriched by the perspective behind Into Whooperland, his presentation combined breathtaking photography with powerful storytelling and renewed our sense of the importance of conservation.”
— Kurt Eilo, Executive Director, Alaska ForumPast & Upcoming Events
National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration
Mike is speaking at during the opening plenary session, “Nebraska and the Great Plains: Whooping Crane Conservation at the Continental Scale” at the National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 9:00 AM in Omaha, NE.
More information found here: https://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/ncer/
Whooping Crane Festival
Mike serves as the keynote speaker at the 2026 Whooping Crane Festival in Port Aransas, Texas. The festival runs February 19-22, 2026.
More info here: https://www.portaransas.org/whooping-crane-festival/the-2026-festival/festival-speakers/
Alaska Forum
Mike serves as the Keynote speaker at the Alaska Forum on the Environment in Anchorage, Alaska. The festival is February 2-6, 2026, at the Dena’Ina Center in Downtown Anchorage or online.
More info here: https://akforum.org/
Friend Historical Society
Mike presents his Cranes, Plains, and a Watershed talk for the Friend Historical Society in Friend, Nebraska.
Mike explores the world of cranes using his visual wonderland of photographs. He is an author and educator who has received national recognition for his many books, articles, and films focused on wildlife and conservation stories. Living in Lincoln, Nebraska, Mike is a sought-after speaker and has been named one of the “150 Notable Nebraskans”. In 2017, one of his sandhill crane images taken near Wood River, was selected for the NE Statehood USA Forever Stamp.
Festival of the Cranes
On Saturday, January 10, from 2:00-3:00 PM, Mike presents at the Festival of the Cranes in Decatur, Alabama, gives a presentation, book signing, and photo workshop in partnership with Friends of Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge.
More info here: https://www.friendsofwheelernwr.org/events/whooperland-michael-forsberg
Nancy Armitage Wildlife Lecture Series
The Nancy Armitage Wildlife Lecture Series features a variety of speakers each year who are leading conservation efforts around the world. On Thursday, September 4, 2025, at 6:30 PM, Mike presents his talk Into Whooperland: A Photographer’s Journey with Whooping Cranes at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo for this series.
WYO Theater
Mike presents his talk, Into Whooperland: A Photographer’s Journey with Whooping Cranes, on June 6, 2025, at 7:00 PM MT at the WYO Theater in Sheridan, Wyoming. A book signing follows his presentation. This event is sponsored by Brinton & Bighorn Audubon and is free to the public.
More details can be found here: https://www.wyotheater.com/event/michael-forsberg-into-whooperland
Tri-State Birding Conference
Mike presents his talk, Into Whooperland: A Photographer’s Journey with Whooping Cranes, on May 17, 2025, at the Tri-State Birding Conference in South Dakota.
Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival
Mike, Mariah Lundgren, and Benjy Duke attend a screening of their film, Under the Wire, and lead a panel discussion at the Verde Valley Birding and Nature Festival in Cottonwood, Arizona on April 24, 2025.
More details about the festival found here: https://verderiver.org/events/verde-valley-birding-and-nature-festival-2025/
The Photo Society
Mike presents his talk, Into Whooperland: A Photographer’s Journey with Whooping Cranes, on April 15, 2025, at 12:00 PM ET for The Photo Society’s online TPS Presents series.
More details can be found here: https://thephotosociety.org/tps-presents-michael-forsberg/
Wild Great Plains Conference
Mike presents his talk, Into Whooperland: A Photographer’s Journey with Whooping Cranes, as the Keynote speaker on April 9, 2025, at 11:45 AM at the Nebraska Innovation Campus Conference Center in Lincoln, Nebraska for the Wild Great Plains conference.
More details can be found here: https://plains.unl.edu/events-conferences/2025-conference-wild-great-plains/
Crepes and Cranes
Mike presents his talk, Into Whooperland: A Photographer’s Journey with Whooping Cranes, on April 4, 2025, at 8:30 AM at the Funk School Community Center in Funk, Nebraska for their Crepes and Cranes event. A book signing follows his presentation.
More details can be found here: https://visitnebraska.com/holdrege/events/crepes-cranes-aka-pancake-feed
Kaneko
Mike presents his talk, Into Whooperland: A Photographer’s Journey with Whooping Cranes, on April 3, 2025, at 7:00 PM at Kaneko in Omaha. A book signing follows his presentation from 8:30 – 9:00 PM.
More details can be found here: https://thekaneko.org/programs/into-whooperland-a-photographers-journey-with-whooping-cranes/
Rowe Sanctuary’s 50th Anniversary
Mike presents his talk, Into Whooperland: A Photographer’s Journey with Whooping Cranes, on March 29, 2025, from 1:00 – 3:30 PM at the Younes North Conference space in Kearney, Nebraska, for Rowe Sanctuary’s 50th Anniversary celebration. A book signing will precede the presentation and is from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM at this location 44450 Elm Island Road, Gibbon, 68840, NE.
More details about the presentation and registration can be found here: https://rowe.audubon.org/events/rowes-50th-anniversary-celebration-receptions-and-program
More details about the book signing can be found here: https://rowe.audubon.org/events/book-signing-whooperland-michael-forsberg