Since the 1930s, Ducks Unlimited has been protecting habitat for ducks and other migrating waterfowl, and has conserved over 18 million acres of wetlands and bird habitat in North America and beyond. Founded by hunters, the organization originally focused on duck breeding habitat in Canadian prairie lands. Over the decades their conservation work expanded to including the US, Mexico, and other parts of Latin America, and embraces both public and private lands.
We talk with Billy Gascoigne is DU’s Director of Agriculture & Strategic Partnerships, and Ryan Taylor, Director Of Public Policy for the Dakotas and Montana and North Dakota cattle rancher, about how conservation of waterfowl habitat is a win-win for farmers and ranchers—as well as water, wildlife, communities, and climate. By promoting voluntary conservation efforts, they build long-term partnerships that aim for long-term resilience and farmer profitability.
Ducks photo credit: Ducks Unlimited.
TIMELINE
3’30 history of Ducks Unlimited‘s and its mission to protect wetlands and other waterfowl habitat, led by duck hunters
4’42 early focus on Canadian prairies were most migratory waterfowl breeding areas. Started working on private as well as public lands in the 1980s
7’27 “prairie potholes” and their role in keeping the landscape healthy
9’39 prairie potholes are now seen as compatible with farming and ranching rather than draining them
11’53 prairie potholes are ephemeral—they’re not wet the entire year. but there is still water storage capacity
14’26 conservation based on trusting relationships, especially with farmers and ranchers—which makes for easy win-wins
16’25 “the by-product of high quality, tasty beef is really high quality and productive habitat for waterfowl and wildlife”
17’25 the importance of voluntary participation, which can be more effective in the long run than mandatory because it involves cooperation
19’14 the love and joy people feel for the land
20’24 the importance of working with individual families toward their goals at the kitchen table
21’16 financial and technical assistance available
27’41 how the conservation work improves profitability and resilence together
31’00 other big landscape restoration projects—mangrove restoration, oyster barrier reefs, terraced wetlands on the gulf coast, et al
33’43 the importance of mangroves, habitat for wildlife, buffer from storms
34’39 meeting people where they are
35’31 doing this work makes you look at the big picture, which encompasses a massive geographical range
37’15 partnerships with indigenous communities in different countries–trading community needs for conservation benefits
39’35 how they work with players in big agriculture
44’13 “make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard”
45’42 policy work
46’10 North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Farm Bill, Land and Water Conservation Fund, et al.
48’11 factoring in the carbon sequestration potential of their work
49’41 ranchers as carbon farmers
51’11 links to Ryan’s work: TedX Bismark Agriculture and Conservation talk
