THE ADOPT A SWAN PROGRAM

TRUMPETER SWANS NEED YOUR HELP. Over the past 5 winters more than 1,300 Trumpeter Swans have died from lead poisoning after swallowing lead shot while feeding in Whatcom County, Washington, and the adjacent Sumas Prairie area in British Columbia, Canada.

Over 400 dead swans were picked up last winter. The mortality has grown to such a magnitude that it is threatening the recovery of the Pacific Coast Population, the largest population of Trumpeter Swans. While the wildlife agencies on both sides of the border are working on the problem, they can not do it all.

WE NEED YOUR HELP to raise funds for spotting scopes for volunteers who monitor the swans movements during the winter, to help pay for radio transmitters and data collection, and to fund the effort to necropsy all lead poisoned swans to glean clues from the characteristics of the ingested lead and other digestive tract contents. There are additional needs that will be funded as dollars allow.

MARKED SWANS. Trumpeter Swans are captured by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife with special nets as the swans feed on baited fields. The swans are fitted with a red plastic neck band that has a unique number/letter code in white and carries a VHF radio or satellite transmitter. Each bird also gets a coded aluminum leg band. The radio signals from these marked birds allow biologists to track their locations in the fields or wetlands by day and at the roosts at night. This work is critical to finding where the birds are getting the lead shot that is killing them. Volunteers also track the swans, looking for banded birds and reading the codes.

YOU CAN HELP by Adopting a Swan that is wearing one of these special collars. E-mail TTSS-Washington State Field Office or call 425-787-0258 for more details. Or, view a copy of the Adopt A Swan brochure which is now available and printer ready in Adobe Acrobat format. We have adoption levels to fit every budget. Click here to view sponsorship levels. Please make checks payable (in U.S. funds) to The Trumpeter Swan Society and send to TTSS - Washington Field Office at MBO 272, 914-164th Street SE, Mill Creek, WA 98012. New! We now have the ability to accept your credit card donation through Click&Pledge. Click on sponsorship levels to proceed with the secure online checkout process.

All donations from U. S. residents are tax deductible.

The swans say THANK YOU!

STUDENTS MAKE A DIFFERENCE ! Second Grade classes at Montclair Elementary School in Quincy, Massachusetts, held a fundraiser in June 2006 to help the swans. After reading the wonderful book, The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White, the students did research about the Trumpeter Swan and learned about the serious problem of lead poisoning in Washington and British Columbia. The students wanted to turn their concern into action! They first educated the entire school body to the plight of the swans and then held a fundraiser where Origami swans, Trumpeter Swan bookmarks and other items priced at 30 cents or less were sold. A total of $103.33 was raised and then contributed to TTSS for the Adopt A Swan program. Click here to see a photo of the students and staff. We think it is wonderful that the young people and their teachers, Ann Wetherby and Ellen Whetstone, took action to help the Trumpeters that face such a serious threat. A hearty thank you to all!

ADOPT A SWAN Donors (as of May 2, 2008)

ALABAMA
Krusinski's Kangaroos-Vestavia Hills Elem. School West

BRITISH COLUMBIA
D. Clark, Nanaimo

CALIFORNIA
J. T. Atwood, San Diego
Katherine Dhuey, Berkeley
Sara Green’s Class, Oakland
Maya Jundis Hackett, Davis
Timmis J. and M. Anne Moore, Rancho Santa Fe
Sacred Heart School, Anderson

COLORADO
Mrs. Fukai’s Reading Group
Rosemarie Halchuk-Harrington
James and Janet Hill
Siri Nelson

CONNECTICUT
Anna LoPresti School, Seymour

FLORIDA
Mr. Fessler's Grade 4 Class of 2006, U.B. Kinsy Elem. Sch. of the Arts

GEORGIA
Laura Baker, Kennesaw
Hayden Crook
Darwiche Family
Fisher Family
Ford Family
Harbin Family
Harmon Family
Devin Luppowitz
Heather Morgan
Nevell Family
Steven School
Talley Family
Sam Wales
Willis Family

ILLINOIS
Brian E. "Owen" Cook, Chicago

KANSAS
Barbara Roberts, Hays

MASSACHUSETTS
Bethany Adams' 4th Grade Class, Salem
Adira Balzac
Julia Kelly
Second Grade Students and Staff, Montclair Elementary School, North Quincy
Constance Rhuda, Merrimac

MICHIGAN
Daycroft Montessori – 1 and 2A Classroom

MINNESOTA
Patti Anderson, in memory of Dave Ahlgren
Hannah Otto, Stewartville

MONTANA
Pine Butte Elementary, Mrs. Miller, Librarian

NEW JERSEY
Ms. Hassenplug's 3rd Grade Class, Knollwood School

NEW YORK
Bryan and Lauren Hunter, Chester
The Progressive School of Long Island Mrs. Schaier’s Third Grade Class, Merrick
Louise Parms
Nicole Talento, Syosset

NORTH CAROLINA
Jennifer Brest
Mrs. Gorenflo’s Reading Classes, West End Elementary School
Mr. Krasnigor's Class

OREGON
Jeff and Starr Sanders

PENNSYLVANIA
The Fessler Family

TENNESSEE
Mrs. Linz's 5th Grade Class, Oak Elementary School, Bartlett
Lisa Haddad Hoke

TEXAS
Mrs. Borel's Class, Austin
Anna Bown, Austin
David Cox, Austin
Emma E. Davis, Austin
Jack Kempner

VIRGINIA
Auburn Elementary School, Riner **Silver Level**

WASHINGTON
Rebecca Alder
Carolyn Anderson
Paul Anderson
Mrs. Angus' 2nd Grade Class, Purdy Elementary 2007, Gig Harbor
Roger Berry
Lynda Blakely, Freeland
Laura Leigh Brakke
Lennart Carlson
Carnation Elementary School, Room 123, 2nd and 3rd Grade Class
Joan Casey
Community Food Co-op - Bellingham
Kylee Conrads
Gena M. Dilabio
Diane L. Dorsey for Mrs. Thacker's swan
Nancy and Peter Dyson
Carol Even
Bobbi Foltz
Kristen Marie Favro
Leah Kathryn Favro
Judy Gehring
Jessica A. Gigot
Robert Gresky
Jerry Haynes
Jan and Max Hunt
Krista Hunter
Mary Johnston
Cindy Klein
Linda Katz
Donald H. Knutzen
Charlene and Charles Law
Molly LeMaster
Judith Lowell
Jean M. Luchi, MD
Robert J. Luchi, S. J.
Margaret A. Lunnum
Sue Madison
Tom Mansfield
Victoria McDonald
Barbara Mercer
Helena Moore
Marla Morrow
Wynne Moore
Larry Mortimer
Ralph Munro
North Main Elementary School - Mrs. Shortall's Class
Julie O'Donald
Ariel O’Neill
Sue Petersen
Michael Polenz & Yvonne Dettlaff
Laverne M. Power
Will Roehl & Kelli Linville
Lawrence Schinke
Joan M. Schwindt
Amy Shumann
Sifton Elementary School, Vancouver, c/o Cathy Runells
Mairi Rose Stagg
Gayle Stebbings
The Strong Family - Madyson, Melyssa, Mykenzie, Mykaela
Hannah Sullivan
Christy A. Wujcik
Virginia Warfield
Liz Washburn, Bellingham
Washington State Dairy Federation
Shauna Werner
Jan Westwater
World Grace Foundation

WISCONSIN
Scott D. Andrews, Adopt A Swan for Nan
Laura B. Metropulos
Lanette Strong