MEMPHIS, Tenn. - June 2, 2015 - Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Ducks Unlimited Canada, Ducks Unlimited de Mexico and Wetlands America Trust are committed to making DU's vision of abundant wetlands a reality through the new "Rescue Our Wetlands: Banding Together for Waterfowl" campaign. The $2 billion continental campaign was launched at Ducks Unlimited's 78th annual convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May 27-30. To date, the campaign has raised $1.1 billion.

"We must all do our part to protect and restore North America's most important wetland resources for future generations," said Ducks Unlimited President Paul Bonderson Jr. "Funds raised through Rescue Our Wetlands will allow Ducks Unlimited to protect more of North America's most vital, yet threatened landscapes. This is the largest wetlands and waterfowl conservation campaign in history, and we are confident our volunteers and supporters will help us achieve our $2 billion campaign goal."

Rescue Our Wetlands is built on five components, vital to the survival of wetlands, waterfowl, communities, and ecosystems that rely on those resources.

The Breeding Landscapes component will support DU initiatives to protect and restore crucial but threatened breeding habitat across the continent, a key conservation priority for Ducks Unlimited. The Wintering and Migration Landscapes component will support efforts to protect and restore wintering and staging habitat along North America's coasts and the central and southern U.S.

Conservation Legacy, the third component of Rescue Our Wetlands, focuses on growing DU's endowment to ensure a strong organization capable of sustaining critical conservation work for many decades to come.

"DU spends at least 80 percent of every dollar on habitat conservation and conservation education," said Steve Maritz, president of Wetlands America Trust. "Planned gift commitments and endowment gifts generated through Rescue Our Wetlands will contribute to a strong, stable future for Ducks Unlimited's mission and supporters. We have been at work for 78 years, and plan on continuing our conservation work for another 78 years, and beyond. We are in this for the long haul."

Conservation Education, the fourth component of the campaign, will help educate the public about the importance of wetlands and engage the next generation of conservationists to carry on DU's legacy of support for waterfowl and wetlands.

Waterfowl Forever, the final, core component of the campaign, recognizes that all DU members and supporters contribute directly to the success of the campaign and play a vital role in wetlands and waterfowl conservation. Event support and other sources of unrestricted revenue will provide the financial support needed to sustain DU's highest conservation priorities.

"Every DU member, partner and supporter has a role to play in Rescue Our Wetlands, and can help us achieve our conservation priorities of protecting, restoring or enhancing critical wetlands habitat across the continent," said Ducks Unlimited CEO Dale Hall. "The time to act is now, and doing something as simple as attending a DU banquet in your local community will make a difference through this campaign. Waterfowl Forever means we can all do our part, right now, to ensure wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever."

For more information on the Rescue Our Wetlands Campaign, visit www.ducks.org or call Ducks Unlimited at (901) 758-3986.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 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. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org. Connect with us on our Facebook page at facebook.com/DucksUnlimited, follow our tweets at twitter.com/DucksUnlimited and watch DU videos at youtube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.

Media Contact:
Gregg Powers
(901) 758-3774
gpowers@ducks.org

Click here for more information in PDF format.