March 17 is officially Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) Day in Manitoba.
The official designation is intended to honour the conservation organization’s long history of restoring and managing wetlands and grasslands and protecting waterfowl and other wildlife in the province.
“On behalf of the Manitoba government, I would like to congratulate everyone at Ducks Unlimited Canada on reaching this incredible milestone,” said Tracy Schmidt, Environment and Climate Change Minister. “Manitoba is proud to be the home of the first Ducks Unlimited wetland restoration project at Big Grass Marsh. Thank you for your ongoing commitment to conserve and enhance natural habitats.”
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Big Grass Marsh was a wetland area surrounding a lake in south-central Manitoba. It was drained for agricultural use in 1938, the same year the DUC project was established.
“Ducks Unlimited Canada thanks the Manitoba government and all Manitobans for their support of our organization and wetland conservation,” said Michael Nadler, CEO of Ducks Unlimited Canada. “It is particularly special to be recognized in the place where our conservation journey began 85 years ago.”
Since then, DUC has been involved in wetland or grassland conservation projects covering over 2.3 million acres in the province.
The new designation was the result of a private member bill introduced by PC MLA Rick Wowchuk in 2023. Bill 244 “gives Manitobans an opportunity to recognize and celebrate the role of Ducks Unlimited Canada in conserving, restoring and managing wetlands and grasslands for the benefit of waterfowl and other wildlife and its connection with Manitoba.”
“We owe a debt of gratitude to our partners, including the Manitoba government, Indigenous Peoples, landowners and conservation-minded organizations, and to our supporters, volunteers, and employees,” said Nadler. “March 17 is a day to celebrate our conservation achievements together and to remember the importance of this ongoing work.”
To learn more, visit ducks.ca/places/manitoba.
