The mission of Ducks Unlimited (DU) is to conserve, restore, and manage wetlands and associated habitats for the betterment of North America's waterfowl. Founded in 1937, the influential non-profit organization has conserved more than 11.6 million acres of waterfowl habitat in the United Sates and Canada. As a trusted force in a broad effort to raise awareness and funding for wetland conservation, DU has built an international network of managers and biological field technicians. In addition, approximately 40,000 regular volunteers and more than 700,000 paying members have joined the cause in the U.S. alone.

Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, DU has found success balancing its core values of sound science and fiscal responsibility with the core passions that motivate broad participation. While wetland conservation is a primary focus, DU's roots remain closely intertwined with the sport of waterfowl hunting. A shared love for ducks and geese is largely what jump-started the organization more than 70 years ago, and hunting nuances such as decoy strategies, duck calling information, and dog training tips remain integral to the culture that is Ducks Unlimited.

DU In Ohio

Founded in 1938, Ohio Ducks Unlimited has been in existence almost as long as its parent organization, Ducks Unlimited, Inc. Formed just one year after DU's national founding, Ohio Ducks Unlimited served to represent local efforts to raise funds for DU's conservation efforts as a visible presence in the state. Several generations later, Ohio DU continues in those roles - as a voice for Ohio DU members and dedicated volunteers and as a conduit between the Ohio membership and the national organization.

Photo used by permission of the
Ohio Department of Natural Resources

Early Ohio Chapters

The Cleveland DU Committee was the first official "chapter" operating in the Buckeye State. In reality, DU Ohio and the Cleveland Committee were originally essentially one and the same. By June 1940, there were a total of four committees operating around the state - in Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton and Lima.

Mid-winter meetings, banquets, and auctions provided not just social outlets, but fundraising opportunities. Just as today, Ohio DU volunteers also accepted speaking engagements and made other public appearances to promote wetlands conservation and DU.

In just a two short decades, a handful of avid duck hunters ballooned to encompass dozens of counties and all major metropolitan areas. In 1959, representatives from the national organization joined the Lorain County Duck Hunters' Association to raise money for the ducks. A year later, more than 500 attendees packed the Cleveland Committee's annual banquet to contribute even more to Ohio wetland conservation.

Ohioans as Leaders in DU Conservation

Ohioans have a rich history with Ducks Unlimited. Ohio Ducks Unlimited members have been involved with Ducks Unlimited at the national level since day one. Robert Cowen, Lee Howley, Henry Schmidt, and Dale Whitesell were all leaders in their respective professions and significant contributors to DU efforts both on a state and national scale. Ohionans Kenneth McCreary, "Buzz" Ruffing, Don Thompson, and Dick Pierce made notable contributions as DU employees. Whether it be holding national board positions, serving in management or technical positions, or helping to initiate the banquet event system (a successful fundraising tactic that has been adopted by countless other sportsmen's organizations and still accounts for one-quarter of DU's fundraising to this day), Ohians did and do make a dramatic impact on the national landscape that is Ducks Unlimited.

Ohio artists have also left their mark on the continued success of DU's mission. Renowned Ohio artist John Ruthven was DU's first Artist of the Year. Another talented artist, Harold Roe of Sylvania, Ohio has repeated that honor twice. DU has raised in excess of $15 million dollars by the sale of his artwork alone - an astounding contribution to say the least. Chris Walden of West Elkton is a recent recipient of DU's Silver Teal Award for his generous donations to Ohio Ducks Unlimited, and Adam Grimm of Elyria became the youngest winner of the Federal Duck Stamp competition.

OH DU Today

Ohio DU works closely with DU biologists and the Ohio Division of Wildlife in the interest of restoring wetlands to Ohio. The State Committee also works closely with DU's Great Lakes/Atlantic Regional Office, National Headquarters and the national volunteer leadership to insure that the mission is met and interests are addressed.

DU focuses on the most critical regions in North America for waterfowl. Ohio is included in two important regions, the Great Lakes System and the Upper Mississippi River Region.

• The Great Lakes Ecosystem Initiative includes five focus areas in which conservation work is targeted. The Lake Erie focus area is concerned with the Lake Erie watershed that was once the Great Black Swamp and now encompasses parts of northwestern Ohio, northeastern Indiana, and southeastern Michigan. The continued conversion of land use for agriculture and other development has resulted in the drainage of many coastal marshes and in damage to water quality and quantity. The Lake Erie region is a primary migratory corridor for important species of ducks, geese, and other migratory birds. The area also includes important breeding habitat for waterfowl. DU's programs concentrate on long-term protection of important wetland habitat and on acquisition of existing or restorable coastal habitat into state or federal wildlife areas.
• The Upper Mississippi River ecosystem is the land that drains into the Mississippi River. This are is dominated by agricultural activities and has suffered major wetland loss. Conservation goals primarily focus on migratory issues in the southern part of the initiative and on breeding issues in the northern area. Ohio rivers are one of the five Focus areas of this initiative. The river systems in Ohio provide migration and wintering habitats for a variety of waterfowl. DU works to address habitat and water quality issues within the region and targets prime areas for habitat restoration.

DU also has many other active conservation projects in Ohio, including:

• Private Lands Wetland Restoration
• Ohio Bird Conservation Initiative
• Northern Sandusky Watershed Wetland Restoration
• NW Ohio Wetlands Initiative
• Horvat Resoration at Mosquito Creek Wildlife Area
• Grand River Green Tree Reservoir Enhancement
• Boggy Bottoms Restoration at Pickerel Creek Wildlife Area

Things have come a long way for Ohio DU since 1938. From the original Cleveland-based State Committee, the organization now helps to coordinate the efforts of more than 1,400 dedicated committee volunteers and more than 75 committees or chapters across the state. Duck's Unlimited is most certainly strong in Ohio with over 15,000 members. Ohio events now range in size from 85 to more than 350 attendees, and a single event can raise more than $50,000 for the ducks. DU has worked to conserve 71,473 acres in Ohio alone. In 2005, over $800,000 grassroots dollars were raised to support the Ohio conservation projects, and by 2007 that number grew to an impressive $1 million.