Research Associates: Ruth Shea and Susan Patla

Program overview:  We work to develop and implement cooperative management strategies with landowners, agencies, and all interested entities to help maintain and improve the long-term health of key Trumpeter Swan habitats and reduce threats to the resident nesting population. 

Backstory: Northern Rockies Trumpeter Swan Stewards (NRTSS) is a network of land and wildlife stewards whose activities protect and improve the future quality of Trumpeter Swan nesting habitat. The program works with individuals, companies, organizations, and agencies that have the potential to impact Trumpeter Swan habitat and our resident nesting population.  Through research and education we help these Stewards better understand the impacts of their ongoing activities on the swans and help them find ways to improve key habitats and increase the security of our nesting population.

Current Status: Current projects include 

• Organizing volunteers to monitor currently and historically occupied Trumpeter Swan nesting lakes in Idaho to document swan use and to identify problems that are reducing successful nesting
• Research on nesting swans in the Green River drainage of Wyoming 
• Working with partners in the US Forest Service and US Fish and Wildlife Service to help their efforts to correct habitat problems impacting their lands in Idaho and identify sites where beaver restoration would improve swan nesting lakes. 
• Beginning a 3 year project to write several articles and possibly a book on the history of GYE Trumpeters since the 1870s.

Project Partners: Citizen volunteers, Idaho Master Naturalist Program, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Sagebrush-Steppe Land Trust, Teton Regional Land Trust, US Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird and Refuges divisions, Idaho Department of Transportation, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation

Project start year: 2015

Location: Throughout Greater Yellowstone with emphasis in Idaho