MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 26, 2010 – Gary Krapu, a wildlife research biologist with the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center in Jamestown, N.D., is the recipient of a 2010 Wetland Conservation Achievement Award from Ducks Unlimited.
 
The award was presented at the 75th annual North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference at the Hilton Milwaukee City Center in Milwaukee, Wis., on Friday, March 26, 2010.
 
DU’s Wetland Conservation Achievement Awards are presented in six categories and recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the restoration and conservation of North America’s wetlands and waterfowl.

Krapu grew up on a small farm in North Dakota where he became interested in waterfowl hunting. Krapu’s research career began in 1968 with the Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center, where he has spent more than 40 years as a wildlife research biologist. Krapu spent his early career in waterfowl research conducting feeding ecology studies of nesting pintails. One important finding from these studies involved the role of invertebrates in providing protein necessary for production of eggs. From a management perspective, this research illustrated the need to protect temporary, seasonal, and semi-permanent wetlands and lead to changes in land acquisition priorities for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America’s continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved nearly 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever.
 

    Lauren Oxner                            loxner@ducks.org                     901-758-3851