DU celebrates seven decades of conserving North America’s wetlands and waterfowl
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - January 25, 2007 - This is a big year for Ducks Unlimited (DU). On top of its usual conservation work, field research and fund-raising events, DU commemorates its 70th anniversary on Monday, January 29, 2007.
For DU and its supporters, reaching this milestone is a source of pride and cause for celebration. This is especially true considering that war, recession and periods of continental drought did not always make the road to 70 a smooth one. Yet, through good times and bad, Ducks Unlimited has endured and remains focused on a single mission: to conserve North America’s waterfowl populations and the habitats they depend upon.
“Much of our success can be attributed to a remarkable assemblage of dedicated volunteers, who generously give of their time, talent and wealth to organize fund-raising events in support of DU’s conservation mission,” said Don Young, DU’s executive vice president.
Since 1937, DU’s membership has grown from 6,720 members to a current total of 750,000 throughout North America. DU has more than 60,000 volunteers and 3,665 chapters in the United States and Canada. During the past year, these men and women provided the leadership to host more than 4,600 DU events. And DU is continuing to grow and strengthen its volunteer ranks, recruiting 9,500 new volunteers and holding events associated with 355 new chapters during the past year alone.
DU’s success has also been achieved through countless partnerships with private landowners, government agencies, corporations, foundations and numerous conservation organizations.
To continue that success, DU launched the Wetlands For Tomorrow campaign last year. This comprehensive campaign marks the largest conservation campaign in history, and seeks to raise $1.7 billion within seven years. The campaign focuses on strategic initiatives to save today’s most vulnerable and valuable waterfowl habitats.
DU’s 70th anniversary is a good time to look forward as well as back, said Young. “Ducks Unlimited’s history is something all DU supporters can take pride in. DU people should not only draw strength and inspiration from our 70 years of extraordinary conservation work, but also stay committed to take on the conservation challenges of today and tomorrow.”
Related DU Magazine Story - DU Turns 70
Contact: Laura Houseal
(901) 758-3764
lhouseal@ducks.org
With more than a million supporters, Ducks Unlimited is the world’s largest and most effective wetland and waterfowl conservation organization with almost 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.