Henson, the youngest daughter of famed Muppet creator Jim Henson, is in town to premiere her new show Jan. 18 and 19. (More on that in next week’s CP.)

But in the meantime, her troupe, IBEX Puppetry, is offering free talks and a workshop, all open to the public, early next week.

The new show is titled Flight: A Crane’s Story, and the first two programs specifically concern the endangered whooping crane. All the programs are on Pitt’s campus, where the show will be staged at the Charity Randall Theatre.

On Mon., Jan. 13, Joan Garland, of the International Crane Foundation, a conservation group, gives a 3 p.m. talk titled “The Return of the Whooping Cranes,” in Posvar Hall 1501.

At 3 p.m. Tuesday, Garland is joined by Heather Henson herself for “Cranes: Biology & Artistry.” The presentation “explores connections between endangered whooping cranes, humans, the life sciences and the arts.” This one’s in 104 David Lawrence Hall.

And at 3 p.m. Wednesay, in the Charity Randall Theatre, Henson and Ibex present a panel discussion about the evolution of that new show, Flight, subtitled “the evolution of inspiration.”

For more on Ibex, see here.

For more on Flight, see here.

And for more on the free public programs, email [email protected]