COLSTRIP, Mont., Jan. 28, 2016 - Finding out how much wetlands impact animals and people was the motivation Kathy Christian needed to get more involved herself in Ducks Unlimited. Christian's husband Steve had already been an active volunteer, and she decided she would lend her all to DU once she learned about Montana's and the Prairie Pothole Region's vital role in providing waterfowl for the continent. This month, she took over as the state chair for Montana Ducks Unlimited.

"When I heard the continental story at my first DU national convention, I got serious about my involvement of time, talent and funds," Christian said. "After that experience I was totally in."

Since then, she has accumulated a long list of service for Ducks Unlimited, including being a member of the DU Board of Directors, two national committees, and volunteering in Montana on a state-wide basis as well as leading two Montana fundraising dinners with her husband, Steve.

After her experience at the national convention, Kathy and her husband, who were Ducks Unlimited, Inc. life sponsors, also became life sponsors for DU's affiliate organizations, DU Canada and DU Mexico.

"Fundraising is a large part of what state volunteering is about, and I want to see the Montana DU leadership grow and sustain these efforts. We'll do that by building and maintaining an effective and diverse leadership team in age, gender and interests to support the Ducks Unlimited vision," she said. "Montana is fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers, staff and members."

Kathy says she's not a hunter but grew up loving the outdoors, is pro-hunting and is married to an avid hunter. She grew up in Kansas and has lived in Montana since 1982. She and her husband live in Colstrip where she works for Talen Energy as an analyst. They have four grown children and six grandchildren. All of their children, their children's spouses and some of the grandchildren are DU volunteers.

"Steve and I made sure all of our six grandkids became Greenwing Legacy members. We continue to promote family involvement in Ducks Unlimited. It is DU's future," Kathy said.

Ducks Unlimited has members in every county and four full-time conservation staff in Montana who are widely recognized for their knowledge of wetland habitat conservation. Since 1984, DU has spent close to $25 million on habitat conservation in Montana, conserving more than 92,000 acres.

DU strongly supports public access, especially through its work with Montana and federal fish and wildlife agencies to restore and protect habitat that will enhance public hunting by attracting more wildlife. We respect and support these agencies' position on outdoor recreation and wildlife management in Montana. The protection and enhancement of our shared waterfowling heritage is a core value of our organization.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. 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 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:
Becky Jones Mahlum
(701) 355-3500
bjonesmahlum@ducks.org