By Bruce Ross, Executive Director

This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s February 2020 Volunteer Newsletter edition.

As I step into my second year at WWA, I have to say I remain pretty impressed.  WWA has a great mission, a great heritage, and, critically, great volunteers who continue paying it forward.  This last month of the “off-season” (that is, before events start coming fast and furious), it seems everywhere I turn there have been extraordinary accomplishments by WWA volunteers…

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  Starting with an annual meeting, in which we inducted two remarkable, long term volunteers – John Regan, and Dan Witthuhn – into the WWA Hall of Fame and recognized our 2020 Volunteer of the Year, Russ Olson. The competition for these honors is stiff, let me tell you.  With so many WWA’ers stepping up in this transition year, and with so many ongoing projects and activities, there really should be several such awards each year.  Let me noodle on that…

• … and it has continued with members stepping forward into ‘newly identified’ volunteer opportunities, some of which are described elsewhere in this newsletter – lobbying help, wood duck box logistics, project identification, newly trained hunting mentors, director committee efforts, corporate sponsorship outreachers…. and more!
• And, I know it will continue with the calendar-clogging events we have scheduled in the next few months! (I plan to attend every one again this year – and hope to see you at a bunch of them too.  I also hope to have a little better luck in the various raffles that simply cleaned me out last year).

Look, WWA has been positioning to have even greater impact in this coming year, and beyond.  THIS WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOU!

You are helping all of Wisconsin’s waterfowlers, whether they are members or not, whether they know of WWA or not, and whether they recognize what is needed to sustain our sport or not.  Sometimes this may lead to frustration that your efforts are unappreciated in some waterfowling circles; I well understand.  But not in our waterfowling circle.  Thank you.