wolf lake success story

Spring 2012
Special points of interest:
• Stevie Grussendorf wins
the Jimmy Robinson Award
• Minnesota DU at the
Northwest Sportshow
• World’s Largest DU Event
• 2012 State Convention
Photographs
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
BRINGING BACK THE
BIRDS -WOLF LAKE
SUCCESS STORY
• Swan Lake Update
Inside this issue:
Chairman’s
Chatter
2
Jimmy Robinson
Award Winner
3
Thousands of waterfowl loaf on Wolf Lake on March 13, 2012, during
the spring migration (photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
MN DU at North- 4
west Sportshow
Minnesota Artist’s
Corner
5
Wolf Lake
Success Story
6
Project Hall of
8
Fame—Swan Lake
State Convention
Photos
10
Minnesota DU
News
11
World’s Largest
DU Event
13
Cattails
Teal, pintails,
gadwalls, and
mallards working
the mudflats this
spring after the
Wolf Lake
drawdown (photo
courtesy of the
U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service).
More on Wolf Lake, a DU Living Lakes project, on Page 6
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Page 2
Spring 2012
State Chairman’s Chatter
Hi all,
Dave Flink, State Chair
Your Minnesota DU
State Committee
State Chair
Dave Flink
Hutchinson, MN
320-587-4246
[email protected]
State Council Chair
Less Ness
Chisago City, MN
651-257-6413
[email protected]
State Chair Elect
Tim Roble
Frazee, MN
218-334-4701
[email protected]
State Treasurer
Dan Scheffler
Northfield, MN
507-291-0311
[email protected]
State Volunteer
Recruitment Coord.
Dale Lusti
Buffalo, MN
763-682-3468
[email protected]
State Convention Chairs
Bob and Karen Sorenson
Albert Lea, MN
507-373-4931
[email protected]
State Major Gift Chair
Russ Klint
Benson, MN
320-239-4322
[email protected]
Cattails
I’ve just returned from a week of travel and did a quick check of the woods and lakes
around my home. I found a hen hoody (Hooded Merganser) sitting on a clutch of eggs,
Jack-in-the-Pulpit and Phlox blooming (morels should be popping shortly) - all wonderful
signs of spring. As I’m writing this note, we are well into the spring banquet season and
Ducks Unlimited’s 75th anniversary celebration. 2012 is off to a wonderful start - thanks
to the hard work of our volunteers and staff. As an organization, the efforts of our volunteers, big or small, are always appreciated. So in this edition of Cattails, I wanted to highlight the truly outstanding contributions of our most dedicated volunteers and chapters
from around the state.
2011 – MNDU Award Winners
Every year at the State Convention we recognize the outstanding service of our volunteers.
Here are the award winners for 2011:
The Landowski Award is named after Al and Rosie Landowski, who as a team made
wonderful contributions to MNDU. This year’s Landowski award winner is Paul (Teresa)
and Greg (Michele) Erickson of Garrison for their outstanding leadership with the Mille
Lacs fishing contest and the Garrison Chapter of DU (see photograph of Greg and Paul on
Page 12 and article on the fishing contest on Page 13).
Tommy Nelson was a volunteer leader who worked tirelessly with chapters to help promote recruitment and net/net performance while attending over 50 events each year. This
year’s Tommy Nelson Award winner is a volunteer I worked with as a Regional Vice
Chair in SW Minnesota a few years ago. He’s 30 years old and has been an Area Chair,
State Convention Chair, and now holds the SW Regional Vice Chair position. Congratulations to Joey Schlagel and his wife, Pam!
Our last State Award is named after Minnesota’s outdoor legend Jimmy Robinson. This
award commemorates a volunteer or staff member who has sustained a lifelong commitment to MNDU. The Jimmy Robinson Award is the highest award a MNDU contributor can achieve. This year’s award was given to a most deserving individual, Stevie Grussendorf. Stevie runs our state office and is MNDU’s greatest ambassador (see photos and
article on Page 3).
Outgoing State Convention Chairs deserve a
round of applause
I also wanted to note the achievements of this year’s outgoing State Convention Chairs,
Bob and Karen Sorenson. “B&K”, as I refer to them, are truly MNDU’s super duo. The
two have been MNDU’s State Greenwing Chairs, Bob has been a RVC, and they just
wrapped up their two-year term as MNDU’s State Convention Chairs, doing an outstanding job. But don’t think these two volunteers are close to retiring. Bob and Karen
were heavily involved with the Freeborn County 40th Anniversary event this past April. At
the event, B&K helped secure five Life Sponsors or Major Donor upgrades…but there’s
more! B&K have also graciously accepted the position of State Sponsor Chair. I’m excited
to be able to walk in the shadow of such dedicated volunteers. Thank you, B&K, for all you
have done and will continue to do!!!!!
State Chairman’s Chatter is continued on Page 14.
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Spring 2012
Page 3
How Do You Make Thirteen Grown Men Cry?
How do you make thirteen grown men cry—the answer is: you award Stevie Grussendorf
the Jimmy Robinson Award. Stevie has worked for Minnesota DU for 29 years as Volunteer
Services Assistant and State Office Coordinator. The Jimmy Robinson Award is named for
the famous shooter, conservationist, author, and hunter, who was raised in Minnesota and
hunted with notable figures such as Ernest Hemingway, Clark Gable, and Bing Crosby. The
award is the highest honor bestowed upon an individual by Minnesota DU. The Jimmy Robinson Award was given to Stevie at the Minnesota DU State Convention in February.
The operation of giving the award to Stevie had to be TOP SECRET, because Stevie knows
everything that goes on with Minnesota DU. This required that only a few people know the
recipient until the award was presented. The ruse was so complete that they even had to
pick Bob and Karen Sorenson to be the fake award recipients, so Stevie wouldn’t know she
was going to get the award. Even after she won, she kept saying that Bob and Karen were
supposed to be getting it.
Stevie has been the tireless assistant to State Chairs, Regional Directors, and just about everyone within the state organization. She is instrumental in putting together the State Convention and coordinates all the state office activities.
Stevie is best known for the kind word she has for everyone and for knowing a little about everyone’s family.
Stevie
has worked
for
Minnesota
DU for over
29 years.
Congratulations Stevie! The award couldn’t have gone
to a harder-working, more knowledgeable, and caring
person than you!
Former State Chairs and former and current Regional Directors
were in attendance for the award presentation.
Former RD
Bill Allen
gives Stevie a
hug right after the award
announcement at the
Minnesota
Former Regional Director Bill Allen poses
DU State
with Stevie and her Jimmy Robinson Award
Convention.
plaque.
Cattails
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Page 4
Spring 2012
15,000 to 20,000
Minnesota DU at the Northwest Sportshow
attendees came
By Scott Schmidt, Special Events Chair
through the
Minnesota DU
room at the fiveday show.
The 2012 Northwest Sportshow was held at the Minneapolis Convention Center on March 28th –
April 1st. This year’s show attendance was 28,329. The attendance was down 23% from last year,
due to the extremely nice weather.
Minnesota DU had a huge presence at the show, with displays, games, and volunteers occupying a
large room. I don’t know how many people came through our room, but I would say that a large
percentage of the total attendance does check us out (50 - 75% would be my guess), so I think a fair
number would be 15,000 to 20,000 over the 5-day show.
Our main focus areas for the show were DU in Minnesota (our conservation efforts), volunteer recruitment, increased membership, Greenwing activities, silent auction/SBA, and, of course, having fun!
This year we did really well on our auction and SBA; for the whole show, we had a net of over
$13,000.
We had conservation displays showing a number of local Minnesota projects. We also had information about DU’s Living Lakes Initiative and Grasslands For Tomorrow programs on display, along with
other conservation information.
Beanbag toss
participants
Over the course of the show, we had 500 Greenwings participate in our painting activity. This year
they could paint a piggy bank in the form of a wood duck house. It was a huge hit with the kids. We
also gave waterfowl ID posters, DU pins and Greenwing stickers to all of the kids that visited the DU
room. We had three beanbag toss games set up for anyone to come and play. The Northwest
Sportshow also has a kids scavenger hunt, and we were one of the stops for that activity.
We also teamed up with North Country Woodshop out
of Burnsville, MN. Their staff set up and gave a duck-callmaking demonstration., showing how to make a duck call
from start to finish.
To make an event like this work, you need some dedicated volunteers. The room that we had at the show was
much larger than your standard 10x10 booth. We had a
room consisting of over 4,400 sq. feet of floor space and requiring over 50 volunteers to help cover the five‐day show. The components of the DU room included: 1) Main
counter area (silent auction and sales), 2) Greenwing activities area, and 3) Conservation info/volunteer recruitment area (at least one volunteer staffed this area to interact with the public).
Photos courtesy of DU Volunteer Justin Morrissey.
Former Regional Director Bill Allen shows one of the raffle guns to a
couple of attendees. Bill was one of 50 MNDU volunteers at the
Children
enjoying
the
beanbag
toss for
One of the Greenwing
activities was piggy bank
duck house painting.
Cattails
fun and
prizes
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Spring 2012
Page 5
Minnesota Artists’ Corner—Ron Van Glider
Ron Van Gilder earned his bachelor’s degree from the Minneapolis College of
Art and Design, focusing on graphic design and printmaking. A keen interest in
life drawing resulted in his winning the school’s figure-drawing competition his
senior year. Ron feels the knowledge gained through the study of human anatomy
increased his ability to accurately represent the structure of animals. Ron continues to develop his skills in figure drawing by working with live models on a regular basis.
After graduating from college, Ron was drafted and served three years in the
Army during the Vietnam War. He trained at the military photography school
and, because of his college degree in design, he was assigned to the United States
Military Academy at West Point as a photographer. Photography would become
invaluable as a reference-gathering tool for his future work.
Ron believes the popularity of his art is the result of painting from his own personal experiences. He thoroughly enjoys the outdoors and is an avid sportsman.
Most of his hunts are photographic rather than traditional, but his name does
appear in the Boone and Crockett Club’s of the North American Big Game. “My
paintings reflect these encounters and are my way of sharing the experience. I
hope that others will appreciate the places and subjects I find so enjoyable to
paint.”
With nearly 150 limited editions in print, Van Gilder’s success is indisputable. The public and critics alike have praised
his works and bestowed upon him numerous awards and
honors. He has been named the Artist of the Year by the Boy
Scouts of America, the Minnesota Waterfowl Association,
Minnesota Ducks Unlimited, and the Wildlife Heritage Foundation. Ducks Unlimited has twice named him Flyway Artist
of the Year and in 1990, he was given DU’s highest artistic
honor as the International Artist of the Year. He has also
designed state duck stamps for Minnesota and Maine. In
2008, a book, “Brushes with Nature – The Art of Ron Van
Gilder”, was released covering his amazing artistic career.
Van Glider’s classic style of large waves rolling through bulrushes shows through in his “At His Best” image.
As a dedicated sportsman, Van Gilder is involved in
efforts to assist in the preservation and reclamation of
natural habitats. This dedication inspired the restoration of a marsh on his own property in central Minnesota where he lives with his wife, Holly, and their son,
Forrest.
Photos and biography courtesy of Wild Wings, LLC,
Lake City, Minnesota
http://www.wildwings.com/
One of Ron’s newest paintings is titled
“Boundary Waters – Bluebills”. It shows a
flock of lesser scaup swimming on a lake in a
classic Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe
Area (BWCA) scene with granite outcrops in
the background.
Cattails
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Page 6
Spring 2012
Bringing Back the Birds—Wolf Lake Enhancement Success Story
Ducks and geese found Wolf Lake Waterfowl Production Area (WPA) in Cottonwood
County a great place to stop and refuel this past spring. The once-degraded shallow lake
and nearby wetlands were enhanced by Ducks Unlimited and its partners to reveal a
healthy wetland system with abundant vegetation, clear water and improved habitat for
waterfowl and other birds.
"At the height of the migration, we
had several thousand ducks and geese
come through Wolf Lake. The bird
use is greater than any other year that
our staff remembers," said Scott Ralston, wildlife biologist with the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
and Partners for Fish and Wildlife
program. "With new improvements,
we also hope to hold more birds as
local breeders and see many more
broods using the restored wetlands
this summer."
The key to shallow lake enhancement
is the periodic, temporary removal of
water from the lake. This simulates
natural droughts and causes beneficial
fish winterkill events. Active waterlevel management also simulates natural wetland hydrology that rejuvenates
the aquatic ecology. This is exactly what DU and the USFWS Windom Wetland Management District set out to do when they collaborated in 2009. DU designed three water control structures, a pump station and a fish barrier for the three-wetland system on the
WPA. Crews completed construction in July 2011 and water was removed from the wetlands to initiate the rejuvenation process.
“The bird use is
greater than
any other year
our staff
remembers.”
June 2011 drawdown to remove
invasive fish, consolidate sediment, allow plants to germinate,
and rejuvenate the overall
aquatic ecology of the lake
Cattails
July 2011, drawdown complete;
100% of basin is covered with
newly germinated bulrush, cattail,
arrowhead, and other emergent
plant species
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Spring 2012
Page 7
Bringing back the Birds—Wolf Lake Success Story (continued)
Throughout the winter, water levels remained low to help
remove invasive fish, such as common carp, from Wolf
Lake. However, the mild winter this year posed some management challenges. "This winter was abnormally mild and,
by February, which should have been our coldest month,
we bored some test holes and found only 4-6 inches of ice
over about 18 inches of open water in South Marsh. We
knew we still had surviving fish with that much water left
under the ice, and we knew we had to act fast to remove
them before spring melt when remaining fish could then
move back upstream into Wolf Lake," Ralston said.
To solve the problem, USFWS and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
(DNR) applied rotenone under ice to ensure a complete fish kill. With the system fish free,
managers can focus on using the new water control structures to raise or lower water levels on any of the three wetlands to maximize conditions for waterfowl.
"Our partners and the public users of Wolf Lake WPA are excited to see the habitat and
bird response to our enhancement efforts," said Josh Kavanagh, DU biologist. "When we
get the right infrastructure in place and develop a sound management plan, we often see
immediate results."
"It is amazing how these systems can bounce back after years of stagnant water and unproductive habitat; the vegetation response from the drawdown on Wolf Lake last summer
was phenomenal, and migrating waterfowl are finding abundant food resources in the newly
flooded basin this spring," said Rob Baden, assistant area wildlife manager with the Minnesota DNR.
Managers are now letting water fill the basins on the WPA through snowmelt and runoff.
As predicted, spring migrating waterfowl are using the basins to rest and feed as they travel
to the breeding grounds. Arrowhead tubers and invertebrates are providing the fuel these
birds need to arrive on the breeding grounds in good health and ready to nest. The downstream fish barrier will prevent carp and other rough fish from recolonizing the basins and
negatively impacting the system.
Diving ducks, including
canvasbacks, lesser scaup,
redheads, and ring-necked
ducks, using a deeper portion of Wolf Lake this
spring.
“It is
amazing how
these systems
can bounce
back.”
Funding for construction of the Wolf Lake
project was provided by a state grant from
the Outdoor Heritage Fund as recommended by the Lessard-Sams Outdoor
Heritage Council, as well as a federal grant
through the North American Wetlands
Conservation Act. Additional support was
provided by Ducks Unlimited, USFWS,
Minnesota DNR, Cottonwood County
Game and Fish League, Fox Lake Conservation League and Environment and Natural
Resources Trust Fund as recommended by
the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources.
White-fronted geese (specklebellies) and gadwalls rise from Wolf Lake
(photographs courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service).
Cattails
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Page 8
Spring 2012
PROJECT HALL OF FAME—SWAN LAKE
The project sign at the public access and water control
structure location on the
south end of the lake.
Ducks Unlimited has been
doing projects in Minnesota
since 1985. There are literally hundreds of DU projects
scattered across the state. In
fact, many of the water control structures on waterfowl
production areas (WPAs)
and state wildlife management areas (WMAs) were
designed and built as Ducks
Unlimited projects. This
column is a regular feature
devoted to describing some
of these older projects.
The Swan Lake project was
one of Ducks Unlimited’s
earliest projects in Minnesota. It was completed in
1988 with the help of the
Minnesota DNR. The project consisted of constructioning one large water control structure and improving
the outlet channel.
The steel weir structure
includes 1,835 square feet of
sheet piling and includes
eight stop-log bays (see photograph below). The inlet
channel (from lake to structure) is 42 feet wide and
1,075 feet long. It also included four 138” by 88”
arch concrete pipes in downstream road crossings. The
project cost for DU was
$330,630, which is a large
amount even by today’s
standards.
Swan Lake is located in the
prairie pothole area of
Nicollet County, 15 miles
northwest of Mankato. It is
one of Minnesota’s most
storied waterfowl lakes and
is surrounded by duck clubs.
Part of its allure is its large
size: it is 9,346 acres in size,
with an average depth of
only 4 feet and a maximum
depth of 8 feet.
A photograph from the shore shows
some of the stands of cattails surrounding the lake. (Photo courtesy of
MnDNR Shallow Lakes Program)
The Swan Lake water control
structure is one of the largest
built by Ducks Unlimited in the
state of Minnesota. The grate
and railing on the top allow
access to the other side of the
channel.
This recent aerial
photograph shows the
extensive amount of
emergent vegetation in the
lake. (Photo courtesy of
Minnesota DNR)
Cattails
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Spring 2012
Page 9
PROJECT HALL OF FAME—SWAN LAKE (CONTINUED)
Swan Lake is considered the largest glaciated depressional freshwater prairie wetland
in the United States. The lake, however, has a relatively small watershed, so it does
not have some of the problems of other prairie wetlands, namely excessive agricultural pollution and severe water level bounces for too much inflow from farmland
drainage. This characteristic results in relatively clear water as seen in the photo below. The shallow depth and clear water create perfect conditions for a great diversity and abundance of vegetation throughout the basin. The 2010 Wildlife Lake Habitat Survey Report by the DNR found vegetation at over 97 percent of the sampled
points and many locations where they could not sample because of the thick emer-
Swan Lake is
one of the
most famous
of
Minnesota’s
shallow lakes.
A waterfowl survey flight shows
the abundance of submerged
vegetation on the lake. The
white dots are waterfowl. (Photo
courtesy of MnDNR Shallow
Lakes Program)
gent vegetation. Wild celery and sago pondweed, two favorites of canvasbacks, were found
at almost 60 percent of the sample points.
DNR used the DU-built outlet and water control structure to lower the water levels in the
lake to fight carp in 2005 and 2006. The fight to
rid the lake of carp has apparently been successful. To prevent carp from reentering the lake,
DU is engineering a fish barrier adaptation for
the weir structure to prevent carp from getting
past the structure from downstream. DU is
again partnering with the DNR to install the fish
barrier.
This photograph shows one of the extensive beds of bulrush in the lake.
Also note the submerged vegetation in
the bottom foreground. (Photo courtesy of MnDNR Shallow Lakes Program)
Cattails
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Page 10
Spring 2012
2012 State Convention Photos
The Minnesota
DU State
Convention was
held on
February 10, 11
and 12, 2012, at
Craguns Resort
in Brainerd.
Photos courtesy of DU Volunteer, Barb Sizer
Attendees visit and view the numerous silent auction items
in the main room of the 2012 State Convention.
The University of Minnesota Duluth committee
Cattails
The Deputy Commissioner for the Minnesota DNR, Dave Schad,
addressed the convention attendees on Saturday morning.
The costume contest winners: Jacob Roble with his Red
Solo Cup and Scott Kokoeshke as Larry the Cable Guy
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Spring 2012
Page 11
Aldinger Steps Up to be Metro Regional Vice Chair
Bill Aldinger recently stepped up to help Minnesota Ducks Unlimited in the Metro area by
taking on the position of Metro Regional Vice Chair. In this position, he will work with Mike
Dvorak, the “new” Regional Director for the Metro area. Together, they are trying to invigorate the DU volunteer network in the Minneapolis/St. Paul and suburban areas.
Bill has a long history and extensive experience with Minnesota Ducks Unlimited. He started
with the organization in 1989 with the Woodbury Chapter. He has since held many positions with MNDU, culminating in the State Chair position for 2005 and 2006, then on to the
Board of Directors as an At-Large Member. He is currently also an Emeritus Board Member and State Feather
Society Chair. His day job is with Slumberland Furniture, as a Franchise Business Consultant. He has been
with Slumberland for 38 years.
With Bill stepping up to help in the Metro area, Minnesota DU is taking an “all hands on deck” approach to
fundraising in the Metro area. If you want to help, Bill’s
contact info is:
Bill Aldinger
755 Parkside Drive
Vadnais Heights, MN 55127
651-482-1181
[email protected]
Minnesota
DU is
“taking
an
all hands on
deck”
approach
to
the Metro
area.
New Regional Vice
Chair (RVC) for the
Metro area, Bill
Aldinger, seen here
accepting an award at
the State Convention.
Volunteer Spotlight—Tim Oie
Tim Oie has 25 years of volunteer experience with DU. He has been the Area
Chairman for the Elk River Chapter and, as a Zone Chairman, he was instrumental
in starting the Zimmerman DU chapter. The reason for Tim’s commitment is best
described in his own words:
“I am very proud of being a part of DU because of what they do to help preserve our wetlands and habitat in general. There are other organizations that do
similar work to what we do with DU, but I have been and still am very proud to be
a part of this organization because of their efforts and perseverance. I started going
to DU events with my dad when I was 6 or 7. We would go to the Anoka banquet. I
remember when I was 10, my dad bought me a ticket on a duck boat and, sure
enough, I won it. We had driven a small car to the event, so we had to run home
and get our truck to bring it home.
“I started out volunteering about 25 years ago. Some years later I went to the Elk
River banquet and talked to some of the guys, and the next year, I was asked to be
the ticket chairman. This was just after I got married, and I would be at meetings
once or twice a week, so finally my wife, Linda, joined in and started helping at the
events, and has been doing do ever since. My family has been very supportive of my
commitment to DU. Now my son, Justin, is following in my footsteps as a DU volunteer and that makes me very proud.
“The one thing that drives me as a DU volunteer more than anything is my love of
all wildlife and the desire to pass this on to future generations.”
Cattails
“One of the
greatest
things
about DU
is the
dedication of
its
volunteers.”
Tim and son, Justin, planning their next DU
event.
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Page 12
Spring 2012
2012 State Convention Photos
The Minnesota
DU State
Convention
awards and
truck winner
photogrphs
The Central Region Award winners with RD Terry Kostinec (front right).
Landowski Leadership Award winners—Greg and Paul
Erickson with Northern Regional Director, Scott Anderson.
Dave Flink (left) and Terry Kostinec (right) present
the 2012 Waterfowl Conservation Officer of the
Year Award to CO Richard Reller.
Cattails
Tommy Nelson Award winner Joey Schlagle (holding
plaque) accepting his award from DU President John Newman (left), Dave Flink (right), and Brad Jensen (far right).
The winner of the Chevy Truck at the 2012 State Convention was Robyn Abner from Benson, Minnesota.
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
Spring 2012
Page 13
World’s Largest Ducks Unlimited Event
The world’s largest DU event took place on February 18, 2012, when 3,087 people attended the
Fishing For Ducks ice fishing tournament on Mille Lacs Lake near Garrison, MN. The event netted
almost $100,000 for the ducks. Nearly 200 volunteers helped put the event together, from drilling
holes in the ice to taking down the tents. A highlight for the volunteers was a volunteer appreciation
dinner that evening after the fishing tournament was complete. The dinner also raised money for
Ducks Unlimited.
Below is an aerial photo of the event, showing the over 3,000 attendees filling the area around the
center event tent
and trailers. The
teardrop shape of
the contestant
area was due to a
pressure ridge
running along the
east side of the
event area. One
great thing about
this event is the
ability to park on
the ice near the
fishing area. Contestants are not,
however, allowed to return
to the event area
if they go to their
vehicles during
fishing time.
Don’t miss
the 2013
event on
February 16,
2013
Mistakes Can Happen
By Ron Stromstad, Sr. Director of Development
Ducks Unlimited is very good at virtually everything we do. We take great pride in excellence and accuracy. We don’t always get it right, though.
At this year’s State Convention, I stood in for fellow Development
Director Adam DeHaan, who couldn’t be present. It was great fun to
be among my Minnesota friends again; however, when emceeing the
Major Sponsor Awards and announcing upgrades for major sponsors, I
inadvertently called the wrong name to receive the Heritage Award for
the Fox Lake Conservation League. I should have introduced President
Tim Eisenmenger to accept the award. On top of their Heritage
Award, they also pledged an upgrade to Diamond Heritage Status!
The Fox Lake Conservation League has been, and continues to be, a
wonderful supporter of the conservation mission of Ducks Unlimited.
I’d simply like to publicly apologize to Tim Eisenmenger for not recognizing him as President of a great organization supporting Ducks
Unlimited.
Cattails
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited
You are Ducks Unlimited
MINNESOTA DUCKS
UNLIMITED
6101 Kaymar Drive
Edina, MN 55436
Ducks Unlimited is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to
conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 12 million acres,
thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today,
tomorrow and forever.
Phone: 952-820-8174
Email: [email protected]
ducks.org
For articles and inserts please
send to Cattails Editor:
Brian Ross
14380 Memorywood Drive
Baxter, MN 56425
Phone: 218-825-0996
E-mail:
[email protected]
DU President John Newman (aka The Alligator Hunter) with Greenwings at the Minnesota State Convention. President Newman had just told them a story about hunting alligators on his duck club property in southern Louisiana. As anyone who has met him can
attest, the President tells a great story and maybe even stretches the truth a bit.
State Chairman’s Chatter (Continued from Page 2)
DU recognizes TopMinnesota Chapters
as President’s Elite
During 2011, 60 out of
2,700 chapters nationally
raised more than $100,000
net. Minnesota had three
chapters in this category:
Lake Christina
Garrison
West Hennepin
Cattails
Minnesota Top 25
Chapters
This year ,MNDU recognized
the top grassroots chapters by
underwriting a portion of a
12ga Stoeger O/U to be used
as a fundraiser at their 2012
event. I would like to recognize the following chapters as
Minnesota’s Top 25. (We had
a tie in the top 25, so you will
note there are 26 chapters
listed.) 1. Christina Lake 2. Garrison 3. Fergus Falls Area 4. Marsh Lake
5. Northfield
6. St Croix Valley
7. Frozen North
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
Des Moines River
Meeker County
Metro/St Paul
Lake Crystal
Buffalo
Rosemount
Freeborn County
Southern Minnesota
Roseville
Pelican Rapids
Koronis
West Central
Winona County
Rich Spring
St Cloud Sponsors
Northern Cass County
New Prague
Prairie Benson
Morrison Cty
Official Newsletter of Minnesota Ducks Unlimited