MWDI proposed the establishment of a Wood Duck Inspector / Instructor Certification Program which has been accepted for co-sponsorship by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).

The objective is to increase the awareness of and rationale for the use of “Best Practices” in managed nest programs and to train volunteers and program sponsors so their nest monitoring and resource management skills are enhanced. The classroom and field work will also provide the educational framework associated with a “Total Wetland Experience” as various wood duck habitats, other nest box user tendencies and predator issues are covered.

In addition to almost all age groups, the Certification Program is expected to be utilized by certain wildlife professionals as an accepted continuing education course. The training materials will be developed in such a way that they can be integrated into other wildlife education programs.

The training manual is targeted for completion by the end of 2007. As it is being developed, MWDI’s website section on the Best Practices' Field Guide will also mature. The program will be designed at two levels – Inspector and Instructor, the latter one encompassing more study, training and field experience. The Inspector program will be generally patterned after the Hunter Safety program with 2-3 evenings of classroom presentations, a written test and then a field review and test.

If successfully implemented, the program will serve as a template for nationwide adoption by other state agencies in cooperation with the USFWS. MWDI will publish the training manual on its website once completed. A technical review committee of highly trained wildlife professionals is being formed to advise on content and presentation aspects of the program as it being created.