Wisconsin Waterfowl Association  Announces Donation to Mead Wildlife Area

Gift on behalf of WWA and its Wausau chapter will provide dike maintenance support at the wildlife area.

Today, WWA Executive Director, Don Kirby, and WWA Wausau Chapter Co-Chair, Klay Vehring (pictured at left, below), presented a check for $3,250 to Tom Meier (pictured at right, below), Program Supervisor for wildlife at the Mead Wildlife Area (Mead).  These funds are intended to be used towards continuing the maintenance project of repairing dikes surrounding the Hermit Flowages section of the Mead. The monies were generated by WWA's Wausau Chapter, who spearheaded this outreach effort last year, as a part of their 25th Anniversary celebration.  Prior to their annual fund raising event, last fall, members of WWA spent the summer enticing customers with a raffle featuring donated prizes from WWA's Title Sponsor - Final Approach, and other vendors.  The proceeds of this raffle, which culminated at their 25th Anniversary event, will help in supporting these critical maintenance needs.

"We are very proud of the volunteers of our Wausau Chapter, not only for bringing this idea to the table, and helping us to execute it, but for their long-standing commitment to making the Mead Wildlife Area a better place for hunters from all across the state to enjoy", said Kirby.

Mr. Meier continued, "the Hermit Flowages are used by waterfowl during spring and fall migration and serve hunters well during the fall hunting season.  They also serve as pairing areas for waterfowl in the spring and brood water during the brood rearing season.  Dike maintenance always has a direct relationship to habitat, migrational use, paring, brood rearing and hunting.  Our dike system is over 35 miles in length and impounds almost 4000 acres of water for waterfowl management.  Although this is the main purpose of these systems, they also have numerous secondary benefits for wetland oriented mammals, birds, herps, insects and associated plants.  If we are unable to maintain the infrastructure that we have, it will directly affect waterfowl use and production, the major benefit to other species, as well as the benefit to sportsmen of having these areas to hunt waterfowl."

Meier also stated that the Wausau Chapter of WWA had a long standing history of support for the Mead's wetland programs. "They have always supported our efforts and have been a great partner in enhancing, maintaining, and protecting wetlands for the people of Central Wisconsin! "

"WWA is best known for our work in restoring wetland habitats", said Kirby, "this outreach is a natural extension of that work.  All of us concerned for wetlands need to be aware of opportunities to maintain the great works of the past, as well as seeking new projects to expand our wetland inventories."

The George W. Mead Wildlife Area contains over 33,000 acres of wetlands, forests and grasslands. Over 267 species of birds are known to inhabit or migrate through the Mead each year.  The Mead celebrated its 50^th anniversary, in 2009.