When I photographed trumpeter swans last weekend I had no idea that there was such a story behind the swans. The swans were hunted to elimination in Minnesota in the 1880s. Plans to bring them back to native Minnesota started in 1977 and in the 1980s, 100 years AFTER the swans had dissappeared, plans were put into action to bring the swans back fifty eggs at a time.
Enter 2010 and the community of swans are a success story. But it couldn’t have happened without vision, initiative, dedication and love.
Read the story.
Indeed the story does not stop with the success that has been achieved. As with all stories, one chapter ands and we turn the page to write and read a new one.
The success of the swan comeback means many mouths to feed. Swans don’t make the money directly to buy their own corn so the community of humans around them has been diligent in their efforts to keep bellies full and energy up.
In a tough economy where we are all feeling it’s tough to survive, perhaps we can relate to the swans and the people feeding them.
No situation is the responsibility of just one or two others. We share this planet with each other. What one does directly or indirectly affects another.
I’m impressed with the efforts of Sheila Lawrence, the Swan Lady. And I am impressed with neighbors like hers, Rich Thurman, who is making a mark to help.
Trading has always been an attractive idea to me. Before paper money bartering for what I needed meant that in exchange you got something you needed. It was also before all this crazy IRS stuff and taxes due by April 15. But that’s another subject..
Back to Rich, swan lady’s neighbor. The swan park is between Sheila’s home and Rich’s home. People pile up at the tiny park to admire and photograph the swans all day long.
Rich has this great deck lower to the water than that of the park. This means better landing images of the swans from his deck than from the park. His deck also provides more clearance from trees and brush for more left to right visibility.
Rich has an offer for use of his deck to Photographers. For $20 a person can put their big lens to use on his property and have the advantage of a lower angle to the water and a less cluttered view void of intrusive branches.
I’d suggest you look at the $20 charge as a donation or as a trade. Photography opportunity for buying corn. With each hour you spend on the deck getting better pictures you buy $20 of corn for your subjects. Nice!
Here is an email that I received from Rich and I thought I’d pass it on to share his words.
Hello Everyone, (and please pass this on to anyone else who you feed would benefit from this information)
Thanks to all of you who have used the deck on my property next to Swan Park in Monticello to take shots of the Trumpeter swans/geese/ducks. By doing so you have helped defray the costs that Jim and Sheila Lawrence (Monticello’s swan Lady) incur each day. They feed the 1,200 Trumpeter swans/1,000 Canadian geese and ducks 1/2-3/4 of a ton of corn daily. Some very quick points:
1. I worked directly with Jim and Sheila and got their permission to go ahead with using the deck. They are the experts. I got input from them in setting up the the deck. Our biggest concern was whether the deck with photographers on it would affect the birds in any way. The birds for now are very well adjusted with photographers on the deck.
2. Some people think that I just undertook setting up the deck to benefit myself. All the profits from this go to the Lawrence’s to help them feed the birds. Jim and Sheila have already been given $ from the use of the deck.
3. For those of you who are coming to the deck for the first time and want landing shots…..Jim or Sheila normally feed the birds at approximately 10:30am+-. The birds know this and start flying in about 9:45-10:15am.
4. If you want shots of the birds posturing for pre spring mating….some time around Valentines Day in Feb. is the time for those shots. The birds will be more aggressive in seeking a mate for the spring egg laying.
A special thanks to Steve and Linda Henry who came all the way in from Oregon to use the deck for images.
Thanks again to all of you who have already taken advantage of the deck,
Rich Thurman
763-295-4228
richthurman@charter.net
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