By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bross@wisducks.org
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s June, 2024 Newsletter edition.
If you are a regular reader of this newsletter, you already know WWA is ascendant. There’s no question WWA has grown its impact on state waterfowling over the past few years. The WI Wildlife Federation just recognized this by naming WWA as its Conservation Affiliate of 2024. There are even more (national) recognitions ahead (but I can’t get ahead of their announcements). So what will limit even greater WWA results in the future?
Summary: Despite having greater impact than ever, WWA funding and volunteer energy is maxed out right now. We need your help.
Why it matters: There is more meaningful work that will benefit state waterfowlers to improve hunting, enhance needed wetlands and advance hunter issues. But it will be left undone if more people don’t step forward.
Three reasons WWA is producing greater results:
Participants in a 2023 Waterfowlers Academy LTH/R3 program
- State-level volunteers have used their volunteer time effectively to move the needle in WWA’s missions (advocacy, habitat, Learn to Hunt/R3). Examples include:
- Advocacy: Sandhill Crane legislative efforts, Waterfowl stamp increase, Open Water zone …
- Habitat: Wood duck box program growth, Wild rice harvesting…
- Education: Middle School science curriculum, Waterfowlers Academy, Research initiatives.
- Grassroot volunteers (i.e. chapter-level) upped their game in local habitat work, fundraising, waterfowling introduction efforts. Programs like:
- Habitat: Abrams property NRCS-fueled restoration, Black tern nesting program, Adopt-a-wildlife program, Wood duck box expansion…
- Fundraising: Current chapters are raising more funds than ever before; Our successful Class A battle with the state opens the door to more, bigger raffles that chapters are embracing…
- More R3 initiatives last year than ever.
- Partners (DNR, federal, private, and corporate) have increasingly recognized that WWA delivers results, and have thrown their weight into supporting WWA’s meaningful initiatives. A non-exclusive list includes:
- DNR’s Public Lands Program with support from Fund for Lake Michigan, the Tympannuchus Cupido Pinnatus foundation, and onX.
- NRCS Private Lands initiative with grant support from state and federal levels and our long-running private wetlands work.
- US Fish and Wildlife Service partnership on private lands brings $100K+ each years to restoring state wetlands.
- Vortex presents the Waterfowlers Academy with Legacy Sports International and Pittman-Robertson/DNR support.
- The Waterfowl Hunters EXPO – bigger and better than ever in its 4th year; national and regional corporate sponsors and foundations are partnering with WWA like never before.
With our recent Strategic Planning effort, the Board of Directors has identified even more high value initiatives. But…
There is one thing standing in the way: WWA is resource-constrained. WWA’s small staff and committed volunteers are maxed out right now. As my military buddies would say, “In a target-rich environment, you need more bullets.” More volunteers and more funding would allow us to exploit fleeting opportunities. Even organizing a raffle could make a significant difference, or getting involved in a local habitat effort.
Are you interested in meaningful volunteer activities? Are you in a position to help WWA’s funding limitations? Let’s figure it out together at bross@wisducks.org.