The Trumpeter Swan Society Board Approves New Strategic Plan

Trumpeter Swan Portrait by Beverly Kingdon

 The Trumpeter Swan Society (TTSS) has completed revision of its Strategic Plan, which was first adopted in 2003. The TTSS Board of Directors reviewed all current programs as well as new opportunities and problems facing the various Trumpeter Swan populations. At their December 2009 meeting, they adopted the revised Strategic Plan to guide the Society’s programs for 2010-2014.  This Plan will provide the foundation for developing annual work priorities, strengthening administrative processes, and identifying budget and fundraising needs for the next 5 years.

The Plan reflects our Board’s strong beliefs that the restoration, conservation and security of Trumpeter Swans in North America are very important for the intrinsic value of the species, for its role in natural systems, and for the inspiration and beauty that the swans bring to human existence.  TTSS also values Trumpeter Swans as a symbol of hope for the restoration of imperiled species and as a high-profile ambassador for the conservation of North American wetlands.

 The Strategic Plan emphasizes that “The Society’s paramount task is to assure that wild populations of Trumpeter Swans attain numbers and distributions that will keep them strong and resilient as habitats are increasingly modified by the impacts of human population growth”.  Rebuilding secure migrations and winter distributions is a major emphasis for all populations.

 The plan focuses on the following FIVE-YEAR OPERATING GOALS

*   Population Security/Range Expansion:

*    Habitat Conservation and Management:

*    Advocacy and Agency Coordination

*    Public Education and Involvement:

*    Research

*    Organizational Development

Visit our website www.trumpeterswansociety.org to read the details of our Strategic Plan. Specific objectives and tasks are identified for each goal and also for specific swan populations.  With your support, we look forward to achieving these goals and making Trumpeter Swans more secure. 

The Trumpeter Swan Society (TTSS) Salutes Two Sweethearts

"Sweethearts " Trumpeter Swans by CJ Metcalf

Trumpeter Swans are known for the intensity of their pair bond, which serves them well in the tenacity needed to care for large yet still vulnerable young.  Trumpeter parents invest a great deal in parenting, taking care of large offspring for much of a year. You can read more about their strong attachment on our website, in the section by biologist Ruth Shea; The Key to Understanding Trumpeter Swans.

Keeping pace with Valentine’s Day celebrations of pair bonds, we recognize a couple who have strengthened their bond by sharing a passion – their mutual love for Trumpeter Swans.  The title of a recent Hamilton Spectator news article featuring Ontario’s Beverly and Ray Kingdon says it all:  “Volunteers pour hearts into safeguarding revival of Trumpeters.”

Working in winter in Ontario, Canada, the Kingdons are as tenacious as the birds.  Nearly every winter day finds them pursuing their hands-on passion. Together, they capture and release Trumpeters into cold winter waters of Ontario’s lakes.  In the last 5 years, Bev and Ray have marked and banded over 400 Trumpeter Swans.  To accomplish this, they feed the swans 4,000 kg (almost 9000 lbs!) of corn each winter. After work, they do a lot of laundry.  These are not typical pair-bonding tasks, but for this intrepid pair of sweethearts – it works!

Since 1993, Bev and Ray have helped former Environment Minister and TTSS Board Member, Harry Lumsden, monitor Ontario’s efforts to recover the magnificent Trumpeter Swan.  Theirs is physical work. At LaSalle Park, they first feed Trumpeters so they become tame enough to be tagged.  The captures are done by hand, which requires skill and care.  The operation is often accompanied by riotous splashing or a dunk (for one or the other) in ice-cold water.  Ray reports, “the tagged birds don’t hold a grudge and soon return to be fed again.” Bev keeps detailed records of who’s who and who’s from where, which she shares here on our TTSS Blog.

The Kingdons are a good team.  Ray does much of the wrestling, competently straddling the bird to minimize its stress.  They work fast, often with the help of friend Kyna Intini.  They use a numbered metal band provided by the Canadian Wildlife Service that they secure on a swan’s leg with special pliers. They also attach a yellow wing tag (see previous Blog posting on wing tags) with a black three-number/letter combination unique to each Trumpeter.  These can be observed at a distance, enabling biologists to track their movements in Ontario and beyond.

Bev and Ray have been married for close to 50 years.  Their passion for Trumpeter Swans started 26 years ago when they took responsibility for a pair of captive Trumpeters on their farm in northern Ontario. The cygnets produced by this pair were released to fly free as part of the Ontario restoration project.  We applaud their many hours of dedicated volunteer work to insure the security and vitality of wild Trumpeter Swans. 

We thank C.J. Metcalf, of Norman, Oklahoma, for sharing this wonderful photo, appropriately entitled  “Sweethearts.”  Find more of her photographs here.