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Field Work for wood ducks - for old and young alike, photo courtesy of Aaron Ward

A Great Success Story
Wood Duck Nest Box Lumber & Predator Guard Orders

While nesting results and organizational progress were very gratifying in 2008, the momentum for further gains in 2009 looks very promising, especially if Maryland can get more moisture this winter and spring to charge our nesting habitat more fully.

Operationally, the adoption of “best practices” in artificial nesting programs is maturing across Maryland. We still need better and more timely data collection in several projects as well as further box relocation, replacements, removal and capacity additions to maximize productivity in the planned 65 public sites (59 in 2008). See 2009 Maryland Wood Duck Public Project Sites for a statewide map of these projects.

Increasingly, our new projects are smaller in scale but they are being developed with a pre-established monitoring capability and management. Expansion of certain projects and the adoption of other new ones is strictly a function of having volunteer managers to handle the projects once boxes are installed.

We are “long” on box installation capabilities and less “robust” on our ongoing nest inspection capabilities. Thus, our 2009 focus will increasingly be directed towards development of nest monitoring participants, the “birding” element of MWDI’s program.

Our pool of potential volunteers is actually much larger for the monitoring segment and as we improve the external communication of these needs and the nature of what we seek, this capability should mature favorably.

Hand in hand with these efforts will be an increasing educational focus supported by enhanced website materials and direct solicitation. To accomplish this, MWDI will need more educational, wildlife-oriented “disciples” to develop these niche opportunities which are very large.

Finally, the development of better website based advisory information and more site inspections to assist the private sector with their program performance are planned. Our direct role in providing very cost effective lumber, box kits, boxes and predator guards will continue as we have not satisfied the demand which seems to be growing.

Come talk to us. We’re about as “green” as anything else you might consider. No dues, just whatever time you wish to commit, whenever you want to get outdoors and, hopefully, mentor someone else along the way!

Sincerely,

Cliff Brown
Executive Director
Maryland Wood Duck Initiative

The Maryland Wood Duck Initiative is an all-volunteer wildlife conservation effort started in late 2004. Our objectives are to enhance Maryland’s wood duck population and to generate a greater appreciation of the wetland habitats in which they live by advocating and demonstrating the merits of a “best practices” approach in managed nest programs.

Leveraging these focused efforts on the wood duck, we seek to provide a Total Wetlands Experience for our volunteers and the “next generation” through the development of complementary educational programs, internships and research projects.