Help Ducks Unlimited improve Nelson Lake Marsh

The Central Kane County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, which is partnering with the Forest Preserve District of Kane County to revitalize Nelson Lake Marsh, will hold its 15th annual banquet at 6 p.m. Friday, March 6, at Riverside Receptions, 35 N. River Lane, Geneva. Tickets are $45-$170 and can be purchased online at ducks.org.

Nelson Lake Marsh is a premier local wetland, located in the Dick Young Forest Preserve west of Batavia and is an Illinois Nature Preserve. Nelson Lake Marsh provides migration and nesting habitat for waterfowl, including the pelicans that will be coming north soon, among the 251 species of birds that can be found there. It also provides water quality and flood control benefits, as well as recreation opportunities for Kane County residents.

Ducks Unlimited is assisting the forest preserve district to plan and develop the necessary berms and water control structures to enhance moist-soil and hemi-marsh wetland habitat. The final component of the project is the installation of the new infrastructure to ensure that the wetland can be flooded at the appropriate time of year. These improvements will improve habitat conditions and food resources for a number of waterfowl, wildlife and other wetland-dependent species.

Ducks Unlimited is one of the nation's leading conservation organizations. Founded by conservationists concerned with the decreasing duck populations caused by the droughts of Dust Bowl Era in 1937, DU has partnered with governmental agencies and private landowners to conserve more than 11.3 million acres of wetlands. Last year alone, Ducks Unlimited conserved over 220,000 acres. In its 14 years as a local chapter, the Central Kane County Chapter of DU has raised enough money to conserve more than two square miles of wetlands itself.

Funds raised at the banquet will fund projects like Nelson Lake Marsh across North America. More than 85 percent of all money raised by Ducks Unlimited goes directly to its habitat mission. Ducks Unlimited conserves, restores, and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people.