DeSoto NWR staffer Dave Murcia shows off one of the swans (as the other watches from behind) with assistance from Iowa DNR staffers Dave Hoffman and Ron Andrews. - USFWS photo by Cindy Myer

In cooperation with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Trumpeter Swan Society, two trumpeter swans were released at DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge on Oct. 21, 2005.

The male and female swans were hatched in Iowa, and were the highlight of the 20^th Trumpeter Swan Society Conference being held in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The release is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Iowa DNR Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program designed to establish wild nesting pairs in Iowa, and promote the value of wetlands in Iowa, especially along migratory and wintering sites.

The event included a short program on trumpeter swans and attracted approximately 175 students, teachers, and parents, as well as about 50 conference participants and many public viewers.