Driving around Minnesota in the winter, you'd be hard-pressed to find many patches of open water without a Trumpeter Swan or two hanging out nearby.
In the early 1980s, however, these charismatic birds had been completely extirpated from Minnesota. Their reintroduction was headed by Carrol Henderson and his growing crew of biologists. Henderson was the head of the then-brand-new Department of Natural Resources Nongame Wildlife Program, and that group of biologists included KAXE regular Pam Perry.
In an interview on the KAXE Morning Show, Henderson and Perry tell the story of the program's beginnings, including an otter's escapade in an elementary school and the transport of 40 Trumpeter Swans in an Air National Guard plane.
Thanks to their work, Minnesota now hosts the largest population of Trumpeter Swans in the lower 48 states: over 50,000 individuals! Otters have recovered much of their original range as well, thanks to a trapping program run by Henderson and the rest of the team.
Enjoy the conversation above, and you can find Carrol Henderson's new book, A National Legacy: Fifty Years of Nongame Wildlife Conservation in Minnesota, here.
Funding for this project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund as recommended by the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR).
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It's the Warriors' third consecutive high kick title and their first jazz title in school history. -
Events this week include an emerging artist showcase in Bemidji and Stage North Theater's production of "Forbidden Broadway" in Brainerd. -
As some area lakes boast nearly 3 feet of ice during the deep freeze of winter, drivers compete week after week on a frozen racetrack in Laporte.
