overall conditions for prairie ducks
by encouraging early spring burning
of stubble and hay fields so it did not
occur while ducks were nesting. In
addition, they helped salvage nests
that may be destroyed by spring
plowing and encouraged haying to
be delayed until after July 15 to mini-
mize the loss of nesting hens and their
nests. These men and women would
assist in salvaging ducklings that got
trapped in dried-up wetlands before
they could fly while helping DUC
identify new projects and be leaders in
local communities on matters related
to water and waterfowl conservation.
Being a member of the Keemen
was not taken lightly by this dedi-
cated volunteer force. These men
and women took pride in knowing
that what they were doing was ben-
efiting wildlife. Ducks Unlimited
has seen much success throughout
the years and it’s important that weremember the history that helped
shape what the organization is today.
Volunteers have always been a vital
part ofoursuccess.Morethan55,000
dedicated volunteers from across
the country help raise money for
waterfowlandwetlandhabitat.Even
thoughit’sbeen 82 years sinceDU
was founded, the mission remains
unchanged,sodoesthepassionand
commitment from DU’s team of
volunteers. Photo courtesy of Ducks Unlimitedwildfowlmag.com September 2019 | WILDFOWL Magazine 31