West Lafayette, Ind. - March 25, 2009 – The Hoosier State has always had its fair share of recognition on the national stage when March Madness rolls around. However, this year it’s not only collegiate hoopsters that are featured on that iconic bracket. In late February, Ducks Unlimited, Inc. released its annual college chapter Sweet 16, where the Purdue University Chapter earned it first ever ranking, 10^th in the nation.

The bracket, which has been released annually by Ducks Unlimited since 2004, lists the top 16 University Chapters in the nation based on the amount of money they raised for wetlands conservation in the previous calendar year. This year, the four year old Purdue Chapter, failed to advance to the “Elite Eight” or the “Final Four,” but they are certainly honored to be featured in the annual competition. “We set a goal at the end of our 2007 fundraising campaign to get into the top 16 in the country, and worked hard to achieve that goal all throughout 2008,” said chapter vice-chairman Cody Marks. The hard work and dedication of the student committee and a great deal of support from the community were the keys to the successful year, according to Marks. The ranking makes the Boilers, the only collegiate chapter in Indiana, the most successful chapter in the Big Ten Conference and number one in the Great Lakes/ Atlantic Region of Ducks Unlimited.

Collegiate chapters of Ducks Unlimited contribute substantially to the grassroots fundraising efforts of Ducks Unlimited annually. But it’s not the fiscal input alone that adds value to these chapters. The successful GreenWing campaign keeps students involved in DU until their high school graduation, while local chapters keep adults engaged. However, an age gap in fundraising and general involvement exists between the ages of 18 and 25. In an attempt to close this gap, Ducks Unlimited launched a campaign to start chapters on campuses across the country in the early 2000’s. Although only one chapter exists in Indiana, Indiana DU leaders hope to build upon Purdue’s success and start new chapters on other campuses.

Purdue Ducks Unlimited aims to continue their successful fundraising efforts this April by hosting their fifth annual banquet. The banquet is Saturday April 18^th at 5:00pm at the Beck Agronomy Center in West Lafayette. Attend this event and help support the Boilers! For more information on Purdue DU or their upcoming banquet, visit their webpage at www.purdue.edu/ducks.

With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with over 12 million acres conserved. The United States alone has lost more than half of its original wetlands - nature’s most productive ecosystem - and continues to lose more than 80,000 wetland acres each year.