DENVER, Colo - Governor Bill Ritter presented the 2009 CO-LABS Governor's Awards for Research Impact this week to five scientists from Colorado federal research laboratories. The USDA National Wildlife Center in Fort Collins, Colo., received the prestigious Governor's award in the category of Natural Resources for their development of OvoControl, the new contraceptive for birds. The four other categories included, Climate Science, Information Technology, Renewable Energy and Public Health.
Beginning in 1998, scientists at the National Wildlife Research Center, in collaboration with Innolytics developed OvoControl, an oral contraceptive that reduces egg production and hatchability. Initially developed for resident Canada geese, OvoControl is fed to birds during their breeding season. The effects are temporary, and it does not harm the birds, other animals, or people. The Center carried out trials over seven years to develop standards for the contraceptive's use and test its effects on the environment. OvoControl has been used successfully in more than 25 US communities to humanely manage goose, duck, and pigeon populations.