A major local initiative for 2007 was reintroduction of a pair of trumpeter swans. The largest North American waterfowl (average adult weight is 35 pounds or 16 kilograms), trumpeters were once plentiful on Midwestern wetlands. But they were hunted heavily for meat and feathers, and mechanized agriculture devoured much of their habitat; the total wild population dropped to only 69 in 1933.

Under the direction of Ron Andrews, senior wildlife biologist, Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources began reintroducing captive-born swans to the wild in 1995. More than 750 flightless adults, raised in zoos and on farms, have been reintroduced. The swans are released as pairs, and most reproduce readily during May. The flight-capable young may emigrate naturally, or they may be captured and moved to a different site. Most are marked with a neck collar while still with their parents so their survival and movements can be monitored. Iowa-hatched swans can now be found in 13 Midwestern states.

Great Ape Trust joined this remarkable program in 2007 by receiving a beautiful pair of four year-old swans hatched at the Hennepin City Park District in Minnesota. The swans were released onto The Trust’s 30-acre lake, and quickly began to explore the entire campus which, because of heavy spring rains, turned into a huge wetland. Although we provided food, the swans chose instead to feed on natural vegetation and invertebrates. They essentially disappeared in May, and hopes were high for some cygnets. But the swans reappeared without young in June. They might reproduce next year after a year of “settling in”. But at least for a few minutes each day they delight staff and visitors with their majestic beauty and melodious trumpeting. More important, through this reintroduction The Trust is helping to restore Iowa’s natural heritage. There was a one-time expenditure of $4,000 in 2007 to install an electric-powered bubbler to keep part of the lake open for the swans in freezing weather.