Iowa Ag Connection - Swan Soiree Rescheduled for Feb. 15

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Swan Soiree Rescheduled for Feb. 15
Iowa Ag Connection - 01/16/2020

The Trumpeter Swan Soiree, originally scheduled for Jan. 18, has been rescheduled to Feb. 15 due to anticipated winter weather.

The event will celebrate North America's largest waterfowl species from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 15 at Walnut Woods State Park in West Des Moines.

Programs will be given both indoors and outdoors at the Walnut Woods State Park lodge with concurrent outdoor viewing and interpretive presentations of trumpeter swans and wildlife given by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), Des Moines Parks and Recreation, and Polk and Dallas County Conservation naturalist. Spotting scopes and binoculars will be provided. An estimated 120 trumpeter swans are wintering at the Dale Maffitt Reservoir and surrounding area southwest of Des Moines, providing a rare opportunity to view good numbers of free flying trumpeter swans.

Hot chocolate, hot cider, cookies, hotdogs and other snacks will be provided free of charge. Donations will be accepted with proceeds going towards Iowa trumpeter swan restoration. Feb. 15

More information on Walnut Woods State Park is available at https://bit.ly/363qiHS.

Trumpeter swans were once common in Iowa, but were gone from the state by the late 1880s. By the early 1930s, only 69 trumpeter swans remained in the lower 48 states. As the largest North American waterfowl, these magnificent all-white birds can weigh up to 32 pounds with an eight-foot wingspan. Public support has been vital in restoring trumpeter swans to Iowa.

This event is being sponsored by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Polk and Dallas County Conservation boards, Des Moines Parks and Recreation and the Trumpeter Swan Society.

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