NEW ULM, Minnesota - Jan. 18, 2018 - Ducks Unlimited awarded its Minnesota Conservation Partner of the Year Award to David Trauba, southern regional wildlife manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Trauba was recognized for his passion for waterfowl and wetlands, leadership for wetlands and prairie conservation efforts and for his efforts to actively manage wetlands to benefit ducks and waterfowlers.

The award was presented Jan. 10, at a Minnesota DNR southern regional wildlife staff meeting in New Ulm, by Jon Schneider, Ducks Unlimited's manager of conservation programs for the Living Lakes Initiative in Minnesota and Iowa, and former Minnesota Ducks Unlimited state Chair Win Mitchell.

"I grew up in a family that loved waterfowl hunting. As a natural resource manager, waterfowl and putting habitat on the ground have been near and dear to my heart," Trauba said. "I have always held Ducks Unlimited in high esteem and this award is quite an honor."

Trauba is a longtime friend of ducks and Ducks Unlimited. He previously was the Minnesota DNR's area wildlife manager at Lac Qui Parle Wildlife Management Area in western Minnesota, where he worked on projects with Ducks Unlimited including building wood duck boxes and mallard nesting structures and the enhancement of the Sorteberg Wetlands and Killen Wetland. Also at Lac Qui Parle, Trauba helped Ducks Unlimited with one of its first land acquisitions in Minnesota through a state Outdoor Heritage Fund grant, a 25-acre tract on the shore of Marsh Lake.

Trauba's motivation to improve wetland habitats extends across numerous organizations. He was instrumental in coordinating a 20-year Minnesota DNR planning process with the U.S. Corps of Engineers and key partners, including Ducks Unlimited, to enhance Marsh Lake, a 5,000-acre shallow lake on the Minnesota River of great historical importance to waterfowl and duck hunters.

"Dave's leadership of the Minnesota DNR's southern region wildlife staff has been outstanding, and he has directly benefitted both shallow lake enhancements and land acquisition programs of our Living Lakes Initiative here," Schneider said.

Trauba earned his bachelor of science degree in wildlife and his master of science degree in natural resource management from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Media Contact:
Chris Sebastian
(734) 623-2017
csebastian@ducks.org
@GLARducks