One hundred years ago, trumpeter swans had nearly entirely disappeared from the state. But now, there are an estimated 7,000 of them.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is working with researchers at the University of Minnesota to learn more about trumpeter swan movements over three to four years. There is still much to learn about swan migration patterns.

The project entails tagging swans with neck mounted transmitters to track their movements. The researchers have used this summer to tag swans around the state. The goal of the project is to learn more about the swans in order to conserve and protect their population.

Over 20 people are involved in this project, and the research has grown beyond Minnesota to neighboring states and even parts of Canada.

The project is planned to continue until 2023, where the researchers will be able to compile their years of observations on this population in order to make management decisions for their environments in the future.

By — Betsy Melin