Delta Waterfowl Foundation

Last updated
Delta Waterfowl Foundation
Founded1911
TypeHabitat Conservation and Hunting
FocusWaterfowl habitat conservation
Location
Area served
North America
Members
62,000
Key people
James Ford Bell, Aldo Leopold, Hans Albert Hochbaum
Volunteers
670
Website deltawaterfowl.org

Delta Waterfowl Foundation is a non-profit organization operating in both Canada and in the United States, whose mission is to secure the future of waterfowl and waterfowl hunting. [1] [2] Charity Navigator has ranked it among the top 10 conservation groups promoting the protection of wildlife and game lands for hunters and fishermen. [3]

Contents

History

Barringer Slough in Iowa, a remnant of the extensive prairie wetlands that once covered the region Barringer-Arial.jpg
Barringer Slough in Iowa, a remnant of the extensive prairie wetlands that once covered the region

In the 1930s, James Ford Bell, sportsman and founder of General Mills, purchased 5,000 acres (20 km²) of the Delta Marsh in Manitoba, Canada. For several years, Bell hunted waterfowl on the marsh in the fall and raised and released birds in the spring and summer from a privately owned hatchery.

In 1938, Bell approached Aldo Leopold, an early figure in modern Western wildlife management in the United States, about establishing a research station dedicated to waterfowl research at the Delta Marsh. Leopold agreed with Bell's idea and brought in his graduate student, Hans Albert Hochbaum, from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. They were early contributors to the study of breeding duck ecology and habitat research. [4]

Today

Delta Waterfowl Foundation has four mission pillars: duck production, habitat conservation, research, and hunteR3 (an initiative to encourage duck hunting). [5]

Delta Waterfowl supports graduate research on waterfowl and other programs that impact waterfowl populations and waterfowl hunting in North America. They engage in campus outreach to promote the roles that hunters play in environmental sciences, wildlife management, and conservation. [6] [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

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The American black duck is a large dabbling duck in the family Anatidae. It was described by William Brewster in 1902. It is the heaviest species in the genus Anas, weighing 720–1,640 g (1.59–3.62 lb) on average and measuring 54–59 cm (21–23 in) in length with an 88–95 cm (35–37 in) wingspan. It somewhat resembles the female and eclipse male mallard in coloration, but has a darker plumage. The male and female are generally similar in appearance, but the male's bill is yellow while the female's is dull green with dark marks on the upper mandible. It is native to eastern North America. During the breeding season, it is usually found in coastal and freshwater wetlands from Saskatchewan to the Atlantic in Canada and the Great Lakes and the Adirondacks in the United States. It is a partially migratory species, mostly wintering in the east-central United States, especially in coastal areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Wildlife Refuge</span> United States protected area designation

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Duck Stamp</span>

The Federal Duck Stamp, formally known as the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, is an adhesive stamp issued by the United States federal government that must be purchased prior to hunting for migratory waterfowl such as ducks and geese. It is also used to gain entrance to National Wildlife Refuges that normally charge for admission. It is widely seen as a collectable and a means to raise funds for wetland conservation, with 98% of the proceeds of each sale going to the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge</span> United States National Wildlife Refuge in Florida

The Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is a 145,188-acre (587.55 km2) wildlife sanctuary is located west of Boynton Beach, in Palm Beach County, Florida. It is also known as Water Conservation Area 1 (WCA-1). It includes the most northern remnant of the historic Everglades wetland ecosystem.

Field & Game Australia (FGA) is an Australian non-government organization formed in 1958 for conservation, hunting and clay target shooting. It is based in Seymour, Victoria.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Asian Flyway</span>

The Central Asian Flyway (CAF), Central Asian-Indian Flyway, or Central Asian-South Asian Flyway is a flyway covering a large continental area of Eurasia between the Arctic Ocean and the Indian Ocean and the associated island chains. The CAF comprises several important migration routes of waterbirds, most of which extend from the northernmost breeding grounds in Siberia to the southernmost non-breeding wintering grounds in West Asia, India, the Maldives and the British Indian Ocean Territory.

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Pass a Loutre Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a 115,000-acre (47,000 ha) protected wetland in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, United States. The WMA is located due south and bordering the 48,000 acre Delta National Wildlife Refuge, accessible only by air or boat, contains the Pass A L'Outre Lighthouse, and Port Eads is within the boundary.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Duck Joint Venture</span> North American conservation partnership

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ducks Unlimited Canada</span> Canadian conservation organization

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References

  1. "Delta Waterfowl expands conservation efforts in Great Lakes". Outdoornews. 2016-11-14. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  2. Writer, Kristi K. Higgins, Staff. "Women find hunting just ducky". The Progress-Index. Archived from the original on 2019-12-05. Retrieved 2019-12-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  3. "The Highest Ranking Hunting and Fishing Conservation Organizations". fieldandstream.com. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  4. "Week 17. Delta Waterfowl: the Duck Hunter's Organization". 52weekseason.com. 13 January 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2021.
  5. Waterfowl, Delta. "The Duck Hunters Organization". Delta Waterfowl. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  6. "Delta Waterfowl Is The Duck Hunters Organization". www.mossyoak.com. Retrieved 2019-12-05.
  7. Williams, Wesley. "Pro Staff Graduate: Wesley's Inside Look at Delta Waterfowl". fieldandstream.com. Retrieved 5 January 2021.