Thanks For Making it Possible
By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bross@wisducks.org
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s December, 2022 Newsletter edition.
We are winding down the year here at WWA, even as we have one more event to hold – Mike Alaimo’s famed Waukesha Chapter Christmas Bash in a week. There are only a few more tickets left to this always sold-out fun evening, so if you want something special under your WWA tree, then you’d better sign up quickly.
As I look at the past year, your WWA has tried to – and I hope you think we’ve succeeded in – placing a pretty nice package under state waterfowlers’ trees. We are drafting our annual report and compiling our financial reports for your review. But as a preview of coming attractions: It was a pretty great year, thanks to the support of our members and sponsors, and with the time and talents of our committed volunteers. Thank you! Your WWA can chalk up significant accomplishments for 2023:
- Hundreds of wetland acres restored with our many partners, and even more in the restoration queue.
- The sophomore edition of Wisconsin’s largest waterfowl-themed event – the Waterfowl Hunters EXPO – drew nearly 4,000 guests, including DNR Secretary Cole, in a single day!
- The Wood Duck Box program found new life and is churning out boxes once again to meet growing demand. (Speaking of Wood Ducks, a WWA team created a middle school science curriculum that allows students to learn science topics through the lens of the wood duck – available to science teachers in 2023!).
- WWA grew its presence and impact at the capital as we seek to ensure waterfowlers are respected as the natural resource benefactors that they are.
- To keep the conservation fire burning in the next generation, WWA held more Learn-to-Hunt waterfowl programs than at any time in at least the past decade.
-
The newly built accessible blind at Jackson Marsh Wildlife Area
Adopt-a-Wildlife Area (AWA) teams improved state wildlife areas and created opportunities for the mobility impaired among us to enjoy duck hunting in new locations.
- Over 25 fun events brought the community of waterfowlers together around the state.
- Our newsletter remained the single best source of Wisconsin waterfowling news – bringing you the latest science, breaking news from regulators, top shelf recipes, and deep dives state decoy artisans – amongst many others.
Not a single one of these accomplishments, nor any of the many more that went unmentioned, would have been possible without YOUR support. Maybe you’re one of the volunteers who keeps our Abrams property ready for visitors, or helped organize the EXPO, or ran a game at an event, or sold some WWA calendars, or helped one of our state level, mission-focused committees have a greater impact, or got our planned giving program off the ground. Maybe you went to an event, or bought a raffle ticket or became a WWA member – your financial commitment to WWA fueled these initiatives. Collectively YOU made these accomplishments possible and state waterfowlers owe you a big thanks! On their behalf – THANK YOU!
With Gratitude,
Bruce
P.S. We need to diversify revenue streams to stabilize these efforts and the planned programs in the year ahead. Be a part of that effort by becoming a sustaining member of WWA.