By Robin Lyons/ Full360 Reporter

On a chilly February day, a few students from the DelVal chapter of Ducks Unlimited marched into the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area on a mission – to capture, band, and release ducks and other waterfowl with the purpose of conserving these creatures.

“Banding waterfowl is important for wildlife biologists to monitor the populations,” says Jaidyn Gery, president of the DelVal chapter of Ducks Unlimited. “Out at Middle Creek, when they trap the ducks, they record the sex, age (juvenile vs adult), their band number, and the species of duck.”

Through recaptures or hunter harvest data, biologists can see where those ducks end up.

“It’s really interesting because we can see how far they migrate and overwinter. For conservation, biologists can note changes in population sizes and migrations,” Gery said. “If they make note of fewer ducks being trapped, they can make management decisions based on those numbers.”

Invited out by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the club headed to the Middle Creek WMA to tag along on some banding – attaching a small, individually numbered metal ring or tag to a bird in order to aid in identifying it in the future. The club and a few students from the Wildlife Conservation class here at DelVal, led by alumnus Lauren Ferreri (who is now the manager at Middle Creek WMA), learned how to handle and band ducks and geese, among other lessons.

Ducks Unlimited is a nationwide wetlands and waterfowl conservation organization. They have chapters across the country, not limited to collegiate chapters, but including high school chapters and general chapters as well. They focus on raising money that goes back into conservation and restoration of wetlands habitats for waterfowl.

Ferreri talked to students about the process of duck banding and why it is important. Students were able to learn how wildlife biologists and technicians handle both ducks and snow geese. They were taught how they band and record the whole banding process, as well as the swabbing process for Avian Influenza.

Jaidyn Gery added, “The avian flu is a concern for ducks just as much as it is for other poultry because it has the ability to wipe out populations, which is why in the pictures you may see us wearing safety glasses and gloves, not just to protect ourselves, but also protect the ducks and geese we were handling.”

To conserve and monitor a population, conservationists say getting a record of their locations and numbers is critical. Tagging the ducks allows this, and with little (if any) harm or annoyance to the duck. So, then, with the efforts of previous conservationists and now with the help of DelVal’s group, how are the ducks doing?

Well, it seems Middle Creek WMA is experiencing a change in its typical waterfowl numbers. Lauren Ferreri says the warmer winter is to blame.

As colder temperatures set in, waterfowl are forced to migrate for food, as the cold causes the plants they usually feed on in warmer months to not produce as much. However, because of the warmer temperatures, waterfowl are sticking back and delaying their migration.

“We typically would see more waterfowl,” Gery adds, “whether it is ducks or geese, migrate earlier, however, they have been able to feed longer prior to migrating due to the warmer winter we have been having. Middle Creek WMA is known for being a hotspot for snow geese when they migrate down from their typical habitat, however this year because of the warm weather, they have not been seeing as high of concentrations as they typically would in other years.”

The changing climate is having an effect on the typical balance of our ecosystems. It is unknown if this a short-term issue, or if we will continue to see this trend of warmer winters, and if it will continue to affect the distribution of waterfowl across the places they migrate to and from.

Why is it important to conserve waterfowl?

For one, ducks and other waterfowl are good signals for the health of wetland ecosystems. If those wetlands aren’t healthy, waterfowl will not often use them for feeding, nesting, and breeding.

But waterfowl are directly essential to the health of wetlands as well. By feeding on aquatic plants or macroinvertebrates, ducks promote biodiversity and help to prevent these areas from being fragmented and isolated. They play an important part in these ecosystems.

Wetlands are not just helpful for waterfowl, either. “Wetlands are essential to humans for so many reasons, including protection from flooding, water filtration, erosion protection, carbon sequestration, and more,” Gery says.

For more information on how to get involved with Ducks Unlimited, reach out to president Jaidyn Gery at geryjm6927@delval.edu. They are also hosting a Sportsman’s Night event on Friday, April 5th from 6pm-9pm in Moumgis Auditorium.