The past 12 months have been nothing short of phenomenal for waterfowl and all of us who work so hard to sustain them. The fall waterfowl migration was fantastic, although hunting was made more challenging in certain areas by mild winter weather. Team DU is hitting on all cylinders in fundraising. Many DU committees are going the extra mile in celebration of our 75th Anniversary, and the excitement is building every day as our national convention in Nashville, Tennessee, approaches.

Surveys of breeding waterfowl have been conducted the same way, in the same places, since 1955. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and partners survey waterfowl from the air and ground in what is known as the traditional survey area, literally counting nesting birds by species. This past May, 45.6 million ducks were surveyed across the prairies, boreal forest, and other key breeding areas of the United States and Canada. This established a new record for total duck numbers, with all common species, except scaup and American wigeon, at high levels. This type of success can only happen when DU and our partners work together and nature supplies enough water on our priority landscapes to provide high-quality nesting, migration, and wintering habitat.

The efforts of all our volunteers and staff to raise money for the ducks has been, for me, simply a joy to observe. In this, our 75th anniversary year, many of our chapters have accepted the challenge to hold "Diamond Events," which set a goal of raising at least $75,000 in net revenue. I have had the privilege of attending several of these events and witnessing firsthand the energy and enthusiasm that permeates our great volunteers and staff. One of the first Diamond Events kicking off our anniversary year was held on February 2 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, the site of many early DU fundraisers. This event was attended by more than 600 people and raised almost $1.3 million for the ducks. Not to be outdone, California DU volunteers came together to raise more than $1.4 million at an event held on March 1 at the Blackhawk Auto Museum in Danville—setting a new record for a single DU fundraising event. Other Diamond Events have been held by DU committees in Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Wyoming, with many more to come. All over the country, Team DU is rallying to keep 'em flying. 

And adding to all this, we are gearing up for one heck of a birthday party at our 75th national convention scheduled for May 30–June 3 in Nashville. If you haven't already made your reservations and registered, time is growing short. (Visit the DU website at convention.ducks.org to make your reservations today.) Much of our celebration will be devoted to recognizing all the hard work and sacrifice of those who came before us and have allowed us to enjoy this continent's tremendous wetland and waterfowl resources. But we will also be focusing on the future, to ensure that we do our part to pass along these natural treasures to future generations. The theme of our 75th anniversary celebration is "Conservation for Generations," which we hope will be a constant reminder that our work is never done. While DU is rapidly approaching the 13-million-acre milestone in habitat conserved across North America, many challenges lie ahead and many more acres must be conserved to fulfill our mission. 

I am humbled and thankful to be part of this great organization and to witness what can happen when we all work together. Thank you, Team DU!