Insights

By Don Young, Executive Vice President

Rising to the Challenge

Earlier this fall, my wife, Alex, and I had a sobering but inspirational week along the northwest coast of France. In the waning years of their lives, Alex’s parents made a pact to have their remains buried in a town in France where they met. Our trip really represented the conclusion of an almost fairy tale story. In 1944, just weeks after landing on the D-Day beaches, Alex’s father, a captain with allied forces, was the first soldier to liberate that town. It turned out that the first person he met among those liberated that day would be the young woman he would soon marry.

After the funeral ceremony, we backtracked along the route Alex’s father took from the D-Day beaches. We spent time walking on those haunting beaches and on the hallowed grounds of cemeteries commemorating the ultimate sacrifices of those brave men and women. In our short week there, I had plenty of time to reflect on our armed forces of yesteryear and today and how their lives back home were interrupted while they served their countries. Among those connections they held dear were the outdoor pursuits that we sometimes take for granted. I know Alex’s father thought longingly not just of his family at home but also of pleasures afield in the crisp fall air in pursuit of prairie mallards and pheasants.

Rolling the clock forward 60 years, I’ve developed a number of pen pals in our armed forces in the Middle East who write about their connection back home to hunting and DU. For many of them, Ducks Unlimited magazine and our hunting videos provide elements of stability and normalcy to their lives. Their connection to DU and the outdoor lifestyle we all cherish also provides inspiration as they look toward coming home at the end of their tours. Inside this edition of Ducks Unlimited, you’ll see yet another example of how these brave citizen-soldiers show their support for DU. Please remember these good people in your thoughts and prayers. And if you get a chance to meet them, welcome them home, say thank you, and offer them the opportunity to share a duck blind with you—you know they deserve it!

Closer to home, our nation and in particular our Gulf Coast have experienced significant trauma associated with the twin hurricanes, Katrina and Rita. Of greatest concern have been the lost and injured people in the affected area and their shattered lives associated with damaged or destroyed possessions. But the trauma from these hurricanes even extends beyond people. The ecosystems of the Gulf Coast, especially its wetlands, are also the cause of grave concern. Ironically, in the previous edition of Ducks Unlimited magazine, we featured a story on the richness of these Gulf Coast wetlands and their vulnerability. No one could have imagined in August the impacts those hurricanes would have on these coastal areas. And yet, as we frequently heard on 24-hour media coverage of these tragedies, had most of the historical wetlands not been lost over the years, these coastal marshes would have played a role in dampening the effects of the hurricanes.

For two decades prior to these hurricanes and in recognition of the problems associated with loss of coastal wetlands, DU and our partners have been delivering wetland restoration work along the Gulf Coast. In the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita, DU responded by doing what we do best—getting down to work. Volunteers and staff from across the country immediately engaged in rescue missions from johnboats and provided supplies and services to victims in a relief effort led by Dr. L.J. Mayeux, DU’s former chairman of the board. No one had to be asked to help—DU members just rolled up their sleeves and waders and pitched in. Such immediate assistance is crucial, but DU also recognizes the value of long-term solutions. That’s why within days of hurricane Katrina, DU committed $15 million toward accelerating our wetland restoration work in this part of the world. We also know that this commitment must be matched with even greater resources if we ever hope to make a real difference. But our organization has never shied away from seemingly insurmountable challenges. After all, when the cause is noble and the need is urgent, DU members always rise to the challenge. The people, the waterfowl, and the fisheries of the Gulf Coast are too valuable to be ignored. Won’t you help? Please visit our Web site (www.ducks.org) to see how you can help make a difference.

For more news and insights from Don Young, and to share your comments with him, visit his blog at www.ducks.org/Don