FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Aug. 31, 2015 - Ducks Unlimited (DU) commemorated its Northeast Potholes Program and honored program supporters during a dedication ceremony Saturday, Aug. 29, at Eagle Marsh Nature Preserve.

More than 60 people attended the dedication, which featured speakers from Ducks Unlimited and project partners Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Little River Wetlands Project and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

More than 40 donors were honored, including Indiana residents and DU members Bill Dailey Jr. and Jay Jorgensen for their long-standing dedication to DU and northern Indiana wetland habitat conservation. Together they have contributed more than $250,000 combined for habitat conservation.

For more than a decade, the Northeast Potholes Program has been one of DU's most successful conservation programs in Indiana. The program has restored more than 1,500 acres of native prairie grasslands and 500 acres of wetlands through nearly 200 individual projects done in partnership with several other conservation organizations, including the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Pheasants Forever.

Northeast Indiana was historically dotted with countless small wetlands surrounded by large expanses of native grasses, offering high-quality nesting and brooding habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife. Much of this habitat has been cleared and drained for agriculture and other developments, but remains available for restoration. In cooperation with conservation-minded private landowners, DU and its partners have restored productive wildlife habitat.

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 atfacebook.com/DucksUnlimited, follow our tweets at twitter.com/DucksUnlimited and watch DU videos at youtube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.

Media contact:
Chris Sebastian
(734) 623-2017