MWDI’s Annual Box & Kit Sale As a service, MWDI is aggregating an order with its lumber purchase
for public projects to provide wholesale pricing to private program sponsors.
The box and kit pricing reflect MWDI’s expected direct costs for lumber,
shipping, cutting and outsourced assembly assuming we buy 1,100 LF of wood. If
the orders are lower than that, MWDI will advise of any modest price changes.
Order by Jan. 31st! Click here to
learn more.
Generous $1,000
Donation to MWDI from the
Chesapeake Chapter of Safari Club International
The
Chesapeake Chapter of the Safari Club International has
selected MWDI to receive $1,000 to support our youth-oriented
box building and outreach activities. Harry Daisey, Chairman of SCI
Conservation Committee, recently presented the check to Aaron
Ward, MWDI’s Lower Shore Regional Manager.
Click here to learn more.
North Caroline High School (NCHS) to Sponsor
Wood Duck Project at Martinak State Park Lisa
Anderson, NCHS Biology Teacher, has initiated a school project that
will involve approximately 9 wood duck boxes situated in various
areas in the Martinak State Park and along the Choptank River.
Click here to learn more.
2011 Youth Box Building Event a Great Success
Chestertown
Wildlife Exhibit & Sale
MWDI sponsored a youth wood duck box assembly event at the
Chestertown Wildlife Exhibition and Sale on Saturday, October
15th. 18 boxes were built and decorated by about 25 kids ranging
from 2 -10 years old.
MWDI Welcomes New
Intern - Dave Dickson MWDI
is pleased to have Dave Dickson, a recent US Navy
Electronics/SONAR Technician, interning during the next 18
months. Click here to
find out more about Dave and his work for MWDI...
MWDI Featured in Maryland DU's Fall Newsletter Maryland Wood Duck
Initiative 7 Years of Success
MWDI thanks The Sink Box Editor Steven Huettner and Maryland DU for featuring us
in their newsletter. Maryland DU is a very active partner and without the
support of their membership throughout the State, our success would not be
possible.
2011 National Hunting & Fishing Day
MWDI Sponsored Kid's Box Building Event
Photos from the Field
Dave Godfrey, MWDI Volunteer at Wye Island NRMA and Pickering Creek,
sent two interesting photos recently. The first is one lucky male Wood Duck with
two hens; the second are two screech owls (one gray and one rufus) quite at home
in a wood duck nest box. Thank you Dave for sharing these with MWDI. Anyone else
out and about with a camera is more than welcome to submit photos for our
website.
MWDI Needs Project Managers!
(i.e someone to be responsible to inspect nest boxes at least once annually) at
the following sites:
Myrtle Grove - Charles County, 2 modules - 4-6 hours
each
Smallwood State Park - Charles County (2 hours)
Tawes Garden - Anne Arundel County (45 minutes)
Chicamicomico River - Dorchester ( 6-8 hours- boat
needed)
Chesapeake Farms - Kent County (2-4 hour modules)
If you are interested in volunteering, contact
Cliff Brown - cliftonabrown@aol.com -
or the contact person indicated.
2010 Estimated Nesting Results Released
(as of Apri1, 2011)
There are a few project sites to visit
although it appears that the hatch from public lands will exceed
the revised 2009 level and may reach 6,900, a 5% gain. An audit
of the 2009 estimates has been 99% completed as actual results
became available where partial estimates were used last year.
Instead of the 6,378 ducklings previously estimated for 2009, it
now seems likely that the hatch will modestly exceed 6,600. The
significance for 2009 is that production was basically even with
2008 instead of modestly lower. See the
latest Project Report for details.
MWDI Announces New 2011 Upper
Chester River Project Several key people and organizations have stepped up to the
plate to bring re-newed life to wood duck nest boxes in Kent & Queen
Anne's Counties. Read more...
New "Best
Practices" Sites Total MWDI public "best practices"
sites will exceed 77. Approximately 95 new and replacement boxes
will be installed this season, bringing net functional box capacity
to more than 1,900.
The new sites for the 2011 nest season
will include the Upper Chester (Kent-30), Indian Head Trail
(Charles-8), Riverside WMA (Charles-7), South River (AA-6), Nanjemoy
Creek Environmental Center (Charles-4), Old Bohemia WMA (Cecil-10, Forest
Green (Harford – 7), Mullins Landfill (Harford – 5), Cedar Point (Charles –
6)
Predator Guards For Sale - $14 each
Suitable for wood duck and bluebird nest protection. The Maryland
Waterfowlers Association (MDWFA) is now handling the sale of predator guards
to privately sponsored wood duck and bluebird nesting programs. The guards
are 26 gauge galvanized metal, 36” diameter, cone style w/ four flaps
designed to fit around a 4x4 pole or similarly shaped sections.
MWDI's Volunteer Spotlight Our volunteers have been very busy the last few months. Take a
minute to see what we've been up to, by visiting the MWDI Volunteer
Spotlight. Click here...
Wood Ducks on Water
Video Clip courtesy of Dave Godfrey
Maryland
Wood Ducks on UTUBE Dave Godfrey, manager of the MWDI Wye Island program and also active
with the programs at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center and
Pickering Creek has created an 8-minute video on how we, as monitors, check wood duck boxes through
the spring season. Filled with great tips
and images, it is highly recommended viewing for all woody fans. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4MCf_VDaEY
Spotlight
on Kids MWDI plans on several youth outings in 2011 including the Indian
Head Elementary School installing 8 boxes in a new Charles County
program in March, a box assembly event in Talbot County involving
the Juvenile Drug Court, and our annual youth box building events at
the DNR Fishing & Hunting Day in September and the Chestertown
Wildlife Exhibition in October. We will also participate in the
Maret High School Community Day, a 10-box boy scout assembly event,
freon canister nest box construction by the Wicomico Middle School
welding class and the annual box sale sponsored by the JM Tawes
Technology and Career Center. The Washington College DU Chapter will
be helping with the new Upper Chester River Project.
Thanks to the men at the Hagerstown
Correctional Facility
who again supported MWDI via our partnering relationship w/ MD DNR
by manufacturing 300 predator guards for use on our public land
projects.
The MWDI Challenge!
Find a good public wetland and start your own program. It can be
any size you want. Contact MWDI for more details.
Hooded Merganser
Nest Confirmed
in Cecil County!
In what MWDI believes to be the first evidence of a Hooded Merganser
nest in Cecil County, volunteer Jordan Kane's photograph confirms a
Hooded Merganser nest in Box #3 at the Elk Forest site.
Read more and see what Jordan Kane
and his daughter Rachael have been up to!
J.
M. Bennett High Schoolers at it Again!
James M. Bennett High School students will again be creating Wood
Duck nesting canisters for a 3rd year. Students in Courtland
Lilley’s Transportation Technology class will be transforming scrap
Freon canisters into a home for Wood Ducks on the Lower Shore. This
year they will be making 10 fully finished nesting structures. The
boxes will thus become “turn key” for MWDI volunteers to install. Read More...
Volunteer hours now exceed
14,000 since late 2004.
Volunteers Welcome - Pick a project and get outdoors!