Delta Waterfowl Foundation facts for kids

The Delta Waterfowl Foundation is a group that works in both Canada and the United States. Their main goal is to protect waterfowl (like ducks and geese) and make sure that waterfowl hunting can continue in the future. A group called Charity Navigator has even said they are one of the top groups helping to save wildlife and land for hunters and fishermen.

A Look Back: How Delta Waterfowl Started

Barringer Slough in Iowa, a leftover piece of the huge wet prairies that used to cover this area.

In the 1930s, a man named James Ford Bell bought a large area of land. He was a sportsman and also started the company General Mills. This land was 5,000 acres (about 20 square kilometers) of the Delta Marsh in Manitoba, Canada.

For several years, Bell would hunt waterfowl on the marsh in the fall. In the spring and summer, he would raise and release birds from his own private hatchery.

In 1938, Bell had an idea. He talked to Aldo Leopold, who was a very important person in modern wildlife management in the United States. Bell wanted to create a special place at the Delta Marsh. This place would be for studying waterfowl. Leopold liked the idea. He brought in one of his students, Hans Albert Hochbaum, from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. These three people were among the first to study how ducks live and breed. They also looked at the places where ducks make their homes.

What Delta Waterfowl Does Today

Delta Waterfowl Foundation focuses on four main areas. These are like pillars that support their mission:

• Duck Production: Helping more ducks to be born and survive.
• Habitat Conservation: Protecting and improving the natural homes where waterfowl live.
• Research: Studying waterfowl to learn more about them and how to help them.
• HunteR3: This is a special program to encourage people to get involved in duck hunting. It helps new hunters learn, keeps current hunters active, and brings back those who might have stopped.

Delta Waterfowl also supports students who are doing research on waterfowl. They help with other programs that affect how many waterfowl there are in North America. They also visit colleges and universities. There, they teach students about how hunters help with environmental science, wildlife management, and conservation.

See also

• Waterfowl hunting
• Ducks Unlimited
• Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust