2024: Habitat Work important to Waterfowl… and Waterfowlers

By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bross@wisducks.org

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s December, 2024 Newsletter edition.

This was an inflection year for our work to restore wetlands and uplands important to waterfowl

  • WWA Ecologist, Mark Pfost, demonstrating what it really means to survey a marsh in summer

    WWA Ecologists completed our first wetland restoration under our partnership with the DNR – it was a small one (only 18 acres) but represents the first olive out of the jar.

  • We’ve just put two projects under contract totaling ~150 acres and should be engaging an earthmoving contractor within the next two months for WWA’s largest restoration, maybe ever, with thousands of impacted acres planned under a nearly $1M grant from the USFWS. We’ve got more in the project “queue” too, awaiting final designs, permitting or funding allocations.
  • Our private lands program undertook seven projects on more than 80 acres of small wetlands important to nesting waterfowl. We received a $100K North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grant for a significant project along the Wisconsin River to help nesting and migration stopover habitat on nearly 110+ acres.  Peter is creating a legacy project together with our friends at Aldo Leopold Foundation.
  • The view from Duck Blind #3 on WWA’s Abrams Property

    WWA’s Abrams property project is moving along smartly after we signed a $19K restoration contract with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) – managed by volunteer Jess Nichols. The Green Bay chapter has been building a property to be proud of!

  • We kicked off our effort to monitor/review previously restored uplands and wetlands under our agreement with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  So far 19 wetlands totaling 1,100 acres have been reviewed, and176 upland restorations at over 5,300 acres. Over the winter, our ecologists will be developing plans intended to continue the wildlife effectiveness of these properties.
  • We continued our 10-year partnership with the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) private lands program that has resulted in over $2.4M of restoration work across the state, and 1,900 acres of restoration work important to waterfowl. Our inaugural partner of the year award went to our the USFWS’ Kurt Waterstradt.
  • Our volunteer-led wood duck box program remains the largest in the state, with thousands of wood ducks produced annually. By the way, boxes and kits are back in stock and available for your holiday shopping –they are great gifts that keep on giving. Particular thanks to Bart Tegen and our partners at McNaughton Correctional Facility.
  • Similarly, our volunteer-based adopt a wildlife program continues to make a difference on local state wildlife areas. Want to get involved or start your own with your buddies?
  • WWA Ecologist Pfost harvesting wild rice

    WWA is becoming one the state’s premier NGO’s working to restore wild rice beds. We’ve done it for more than a decade, and we incorporated that expertise into our agreement with the state.  Volunteers collected rice in our second annual rice-a-thon near Minocqua this year, to re-seed in an effort to re-establish historic rice beds.  It was fun, thanks to organizer B.J. Grassmann! Reserve your 2025 spot by reaching out to info@wisducks.org.

These accomplishments are directly related to the passion of our volunteers.  More volunteers = more passion = more impact.  Important roles await your expression of interest–write me at bross@wisducks.org.