Ducks Unlimited Announces Missouri’s Wetlands for Kids Day

Did you know wetlands support more than 900 species of wildlife, many of them threatened or endangered, in addition to providing us with clean water and flood protection? Join Ducks Unlimited for the upcoming 15th annual Wetlands for Kids Day and you and your children can learn even more about wetlands through engaging hands-on activities and demonstrations.

The 2014 Annual Wetlands for Kids Day, hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and Ducks Unlimited and supported by grants from the Enterprise Foundation, U.S. Bank, and the Mississippi Valley Duck Hunters Association, will be held on Saturday, April 5, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area in St. Charles, Mo.

“For 15 years we’ve had the pleasure of seeing kids getting excited about being outdoors,” said Bill Cox, Ducks Unlimited state chairman for Missouri and Wetlands for Kids Day volunteer. “This event really has something for everyone. A diverse group of organizations joins together to provide a unique experience for kids of all ages.”

More than 20 demonstration and activity stations introduce children to various aspects of the natural world. Trained experts will staff each learning station to instruct participants and answer questions. Attendees will have the opportunity to work with retrievers; see live birds of prey; create wetland-themed art; explore a beaver lodge; learn to identify waterfowl and other birds; tie fishing flies; see and touch snakes, frogs and turtles; and much more. Refreshments will be available for purchase.

All children who register will receive a free Ducks Unlimited Greenwing membership. Participants will also take home a gift bag containing prizes, additional wetland and wildlife learning materials, a free subscription to the MDC’s Xplor-Adventures in Nature magazine and a tree to plant at home.

Ducks Unlimited and MDC encourage children and their families from all parts of the St. Louis region to attend. Scout troops, school groups and church groups are welcome. All children, regardless of their age or outdoor experience level, can learn something new at this event. For more information, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation at the August A. Busch Conservation Area, (636) 441-4554.

Ducks Unlimited

Ducks Unlimited is the world's leader in wetlands and waterfowl conservation. DU got its start in 1937 during the Dust Bowl when North America’s drought-plagued waterfowl populations had plunged to unprecedented lows. Determined not to sit idly by as the continent’s waterfowl dwindled beyond recovery, a small group of sportsmen joined together to form an organization that became known as Ducks Unlimited. Its mission: habitat conservation. Thanks to decades of abiding by that single mission, Ducks Unlimited is now the world’s largest and most effective private waterfowl and wetlands conservation organization. DU is able to multilaterally deliver its work through a series of partnerships with private individuals, landowners, agencies, scientific communities and other entities.