For the first time in nearly two centuries, trumpeter swans have successfully nested in the Blackfoot Watershed and we are proud to announce that seven cygnets are healthy and doing well! The humble beginnings of swan restoration to the Blackfoot began in 2003 with a concerned landowner and morphed into what we know today as the Blackfoot Trumpeter Swan Restoration Program, a collaborative effort of private landowners, local schools, the U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, Wyoming Wetlands Society, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Montana Wetlands Legacy and Blackfoot Challenge to release over 100 trumpeters into the watershed to establish seven breeding pairs of swans. After eight years, we are thrilled to bear witness to this momentous event.
To aid in fundraising for the Swan Restoration Program, a stunningly beautiful handmade quilt, donated by Patti Bartlett, a Seeley Lake teacher whose students have participated in learning about and helping release swans, will be raffled and 2 winners will be selected to hold and release a trumpeter swan on May 23rd, 2012. The finished quilt is 56” x 72”. Raffle tickets sell for $20 each or three for $50. The drawing will take place on May 23rd, 2012. To purchase, please contact the Blackfoot Challenge office by phone at 406-793-3900 or email: swan@blackfootswans.org Thank you for your support!