By Bruce Ross, Executive Director bross@wisducks.org
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s October, 2022 Newsletter edition.
EXPO photos courtesy Chase Baker/GRIT
Just a short note to share what your WWA has been up to for the last few weeks; just giving you bullet points since a lot is going on. I’m glad to take your questions for more details or share more insights. Just ask!
- Less than 30 days ago, your WWA led a collation of organizations to host the second Waterfowl Hunters EXPO. By every measure, 127 volunteers created a hugely successful event. Over 3,500 attendees came together to experience virtually everything the state can offer in the way of duck hunting – from calling to decoy carving to dog training and races to the latest gear and science – and so much more. We’ve already started planning for next year’s event, and you can play a role. Let me know if you want to help.
- Expect a couple of videos out shortly that show the fun you had (if you were there) or what you missed!
- Our Policy Committee hosted an inaugural “Hook and Bullet Policy Forum” in late September that brought sportsmen organizations together to identify common policy issues and strengthen our advocacy voice. More policy helping hands are welcome.
- Chapters in Beaver Dam, West Bend, West Allis, Fox Valley, Waukesha and other locations put on very successful FUNraisers.
- WWA is defining how we will provide an ecologist service to the DNR for their public lands, bringing our expertise and increasing bandwidth. More to follow as we conclude an agreement with them. Stay tuned for more information.
- Our Education Committee just received a $50K grant to help the next generation of waterfowlers reflect the diversity that will be important to continuing the conservation legacy of duck hunters. Want to play a role??
- Two science teachers developed and presented a curriculum for our Education Committee that uses the life cycle of a wood duck to teach middles school science concepts – they used it in their classrooms to great success. Next step: testing in other classrooms and arraying against state science education standards.
- We have identified a foundation whose financial help will allow us to extend our wood duck box program into the foreseeable future, while volunteers coordinated directly with sawyers to procure and deliver needed lumber to the Blackwell School that makes the boxes and kits for us.
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Waterfowl blinds are spacious and allow wheel chair access
Volunteers from Cedar Creek and Midland Wing chapters completed a handicapped accessible blind while our Green Bay Chapter brushed up and prepared the Abrams property handicapped accessible blinds for this season’s use.
- Volunteers from Armstrong Creek to Rio hawked calendars that will be our single biggest fundraiser of the year – check it out, it’s a pretty neat calendar with a unique fundraising twist.
We will be planning 2023’s initiatives and efforts over the next few months. You can help in virtually every area of WWA – from fundraising to habitat. Be a part of a growing and impactful team. Let me know how you want to help and we can find a way for that to happen!