’84 Years Of Conservation’: Ducks Unlimited Celebrates Anniversary This Week

By Andy Walgamott January 25, 2021 HEADLINES 0 Comments

THE FOLLOWING IS A PRESS RELEASE FROM DUCKS UNLIMITED

Friday, Jan. 29, marks Ducks Unlimited’s (DU’s) 84th anniversary. Started by a small group of enthusiasts on a mission to save North America’s waterfowl populations and the continent’s strong waterfowling traditions, DU was founded in 1937 during the Great Depression and one of the worst droughts in history.

DUCKS UNLIMITED WAS A KEY PARTNER IN RECENT YEARS’ ACQUISITION OF MORE THAN 1,000 ACRES ON SOUTHWESTERN GRAYS HARBOR NEAR WESTPORT COMPRISING THE ELK RIVER UNIT OF THE JOHNS RIVER WILDLIFE AREA. (WASHINGTON RECREATION AND CONSERVATION OFFICE)

More than eight decades later, DU is celebrating 84 years of conservation thanks to the tireless support of generations of DU members, volunteers and partners who are part of the organization’s mission to conserve and restore wetlands and other vital habitats for North America’s waterfowl.

“DU’s 84th anniversary is a victory for conservation and something we are truly proud of,” said Ducks Unlimited President Doug Schoenrock. “As always, this anniversary would not be possible without the dedication of our volunteers and supporters, as well as the many agency and organizational partners who, year after year, have helped us fulfill our vision of skies filled with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.”

Thanks to 84 years of abiding by that single vision, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective private, nonprofit, waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization. DU delivers its work through a series of partnerships with private individuals, landowners, agencies, scientific communities and other entities.

WATERFOWL HUNTERS LOOK OUT OVER A POND AT RIDGEFIELD NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. NEARLY 90 PERCENT OF ITS 5,200 ACRES WERE PURCHASED WITH REVENUES FROM THE MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION FUND, WHICH IS FUNDED LARGELY BY FEDERAL DUCK STAMP PURCHASES AND IMPORT DUTIES ON GUNS AND AMMO. (BRENT LAWRENCE, USFWS)

Waterfowl, however, are not the only beneficiaries of DU’s habitat work. Wetlands also improve the health of our environment by refilling and purifying groundwater, mitigating floods and reducing soil erosion. Wetlands are North America’s most productive ecosystems, providing critical habitat to more than 900 wildlife species and invaluable recreation opportunities for people to enjoy.

Since 1937, DU has conserved nearly 15 million acres across North America through on-the-ground, science-based conservation work.

“Our supporters, volunteers, and leaders are every bit as committed to the cause as our founders were in the late 1930s,” DU CEO Adam Putnam said. “In 2021, we are in the midst of a global pandemic, but DU’s habitat work continues at full throttle.”

Follow DU’s news Twitter feed – @DUNews1937 – to get the most up-to-date news from Ducks Unlimited.

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Andy Walgamott