Ducks Unlimited Volunteers Flock to Portland, Oregon for Annual Convention

Flocks of ducks and geese may be commonplace during the winter months in and around Portland, Ore., but this week flocks of Ducks Unlimited volunteers will converge on The City of Roses for DU’s 76th annual convention.

“This year’s national convention will truly be a celebration of DU volunteers’ hard work and accomplishments,” said DU CEO Dale Hall. “We’re looking forward to a great lineup of renowned speakers, and to recognizing those volunteers and partners who help fulfill DU’s conservation mission year-round.”

The one-day business session on Friday, May 24, will incorporate guest speakers, awards ceremonies and an election of new officers to DU’s board of directors. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell, Bass Pro Shops founder John L. Morris and Portland resident and Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle will all take center stage during Friday’s event.

The business session will be the culmination of a week full of festivities throughout the Portland area. Wine tastings, fishing excursions and Mt. Saint Helens tours are but a few of the fun events planned for attendees.

“The Ducks Unlimited national convention is a great opportunity to hear from some of the most influential people in the conservation arena – Secretary Jewell, John L. Morris and Tim Boyle to name just a few,” Hall said. “The convention also allows our hard-working volunteers from across the country an opportunity to visit with other DU members whom they may not see but once a year. It’s a magnificent time of camaraderie, and we’re looking forward to a great week.”

Additional information, including registration for the limited seating still available, can be found at www.ducks.org/nationalconvention.

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.