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Animal ANGELS
Bless This Place
Wetlands are vital to the survival of waterfowl. I’m a lifelong lover of nature, a painter of wildlife and a member of the conservation organization Ducks Unlimited. Among many charitable works by this group I remember one in particular—a fundraiser to preserve endangered wetlands in Canada. I’d donated one of my wildlife paintings. With sales of my original and 500 signed prints D.U. chapters along the Mississippi Flyway, from Minnesota to Louisiana, raised enough to purchase 200 acres of wetlands north of Winnipeg, Manitoba. Eventually they built small dams to retain water to provide suitable nesting areas for waterfowl.
God bless these birds, I thought as I stood at the dedication ceremony. The day was fine and clear. The wetlands sparkled with green anticipation. I heard a loud rustling of wings and looked up at a large flock of blue-wing teal ducks. With one swoop they splash-landed directly in front of the group into the water we had protected for them. God had blessed the birds and sent us a blessing too.
—Gene Wasmer, Arlington Heights, Illinois
Learn more about Ducks Unlimited here.
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