The North American Waterfowl Management Plan (NAWMP) Committee is pleased to announce that James “Jim” C. Kennedy has been selected as the recipient of the NAWMP International Canvasback Award, one of the highest honors recognizing extraordinary contributions to waterfowl, wetland, and migratory bird conservation across North America.
The North American Waterfowl Management Plan is implemented through long-term partnerships among government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private landowners, corporations, and individuals committed to conserving North America's waterfowl, other wetland-associated migratory birds, and the habitats on which they depend. The Plan's success is built upon the dedication and leadership of these partners, whose contributions have advanced conservation outcomes at local, regional, national, and continental scales.
A recipient of the NAWMP Blue-winged Teal Award in 2014, Jim Kennedy has now become the first individual to receive both the National Blue-winged Teal Award and the International Canvasback Award. The NAWMP Committee recognized Kennedy's immense and enduring impact on waterfowl conservation, his continued volunteer leadership, his commitment to education, and his unwavering support for continental conservation.
"Few individuals have inspired the course of waterfowl conservation the way Jim Kennedy has," said Adam Putnam, Chief Executive Officer of Ducks Unlimited. "For nearly 55 years, Jim has led by example through extraordinary generosity, engaged volunteerism, visionary leadership, and an unwavering commitment to wetlands and waterfowl conservation. His influence can be seen in the habitats protected, scientific research advanced, future conservation leaders trained, and the countless people whose commitment to conservation has been shaped by his example. We cannot think of a more deserving recipient of the International Canvasback Award."
Jim Kennedy's conservation journey began in the early 1970s as a Ducks Unlimited volunteer in Atlanta, Georgia. His impact expanded significantly in the 1990s when he became the founding president of Wetlands America Trust, the conservation foundation and land trust arm of Ducks Unlimited. Through decades of volunteer leadership, Kennedy helped drive several transformative fundraising campaigns supporting wetlands and waterfowl conservation. Most recently, he played a key leadership role in Conservation for a Continent, Ducks Unlimited's most ambitious campaign to date, which concluded in 2026 after raising more than $4.06 billion to advance conservation efforts across North America.
"Jim Kennedy's influence on waterfowl and wetlands conservation is difficult to overstate," said Jerome Ford, United States Co-Chair of the NAWMP Committee. "For more than five decades, he has inspired others through his leadership, philanthropy, and vision for a continent where waterfowl and people continue to thrive. His contributions have left an enduring mark on conservation across North America. He is the perfect person to first receive both the NAWMP National Blue-winged Teal Award and the International Canvasback Award."
Beyond his volunteer service, Kennedy has made substantial personal, foundation, and corporate investments in conservation across the ancient waterfowl flyways, from the prairies to the Great Lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Gulf Coast. This includes establishing voluntary conservation easements protecting critical waterfowl habitats on properties in Mississippi, Montana, and South Carolina.
Kennedy has also demonstrated a longstanding commitment to advancing waterfowl science and conservation education. In 2008, he established the first Endowed Chair in Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation at Mississippi State University. Since then, he has helped support additional endowed waterfowl and wetlands conservation positions and programs at Clemson University, the University of Montana, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Colorado State University, and the University of Saskatchewan. These investments continue to train future conservation leaders and advance research that helps address emerging challenges facing wetlands and waterfowl populations.
In 2024, Cox Enterprises honored Kennedy's conservation legacy through a landmark $100 million gift to Ducks Unlimited, the largest cash commitment in the organization's history. The investment has accelerated the permanent protection of high-priority wetlands and grasslands throughout the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States and Canada, strengthening one of the world's most important waterfowl breeding landscapes.
More recently, in March 2026, Jim Kennedy, Cox Enterprises, and the Cox family donated one of the most significant conservation easements in U.S. history. Located in Beaufort County, South Carolina, the Clarendon Farms easement permanently protects approximately 4,400 acres, adding to the 1,200 acres previously protected on-site. The new easement preserves over 40 miles of river and marsh frontage and safeguards ecologically significant wetlands and wildlife habitat, ensuring these landscapes remain intact for future generations of waterfowl, wildlife, and outdoor enthusiasts.
“I am honored to receive the International Canvasback Award,” Kennedy said. “Throughout my life, I have been fortunate to work with so many people who care deeply about waterfowl and wetlands. Conservation takes all of us working together, and I share this recognition with everyone who has helped make this work possible. I am hopeful for the future and grateful to all those working to protect these special places for generations to come.”
The NAWMP International Canvasback Award recognizes individuals, partnerships, and programs whose accomplishments have resulted in substantial benefits to waterfowl, other wetland-associated migratory birds, and wetland habitats at an international scale. Jim Kennedy's lifetime of service exemplifies the partnership-driven spirit that is fundamental to the success of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan.
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Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has restored or protected more than 20 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science, DU’s projects benefit waterfowl, wildlife and people in all 50 states. Learn more at www.ducks.org.
