The Ducks Unlimited Club of Ferris State has initiated a project to enhance the number of wood duck habitats in local wetlands and marshes.
The Ducks Unlimited Club of Ferris State, a group dedicated to educating students about the importance of conserving North American wetlands, has recently initiated a philanthropy project to enhance habitats for wood ducks in local wetlands around Mecosta County. The national organization’s Ferris Chapter has begun constructing homemade artificial duck habitats and they are hoping to install more of them in local ecosystems later in the spring.
These wood duck habitats are handcrafted by the group from cedar boards, a material chosen due to its sturdiness and rot-resistant properties. Some of which have already been implemented in 10 different locations at the Haymarsh Lake State Game Area, near Haymarsh Lake, located northwest of Big Rapids.
The Ducks Unlimited of Ferris State has enlisted the help of the local DNR to ensure that these artificial habitats are implemented successfully and ensure the effectiveness of the overall project.
William Somsel, Treasurer of Ducks Unlimited of Ferris State and a sophomore construction management major, spoke about what they do each year for the Michigan DNR.
“Once a year, we take and send pictures of the boxes and make a report that we give to the DNR,” Somsel said.
The Group will not only implement these boxes to increase habitats but also use them to study local wood ducks.
Brady Purtill, Recruitment Chair for Duck Unlimited Ferris State chapter and sophomore Construction management major explained how implementing them in the wild works.
“With the recordings we have taken through the years, we learn which spots the ducks prefer the boxes to be placed,” Purtill said. “We hold a box clean-out event where we replace the wood shavings and also record the activity in each wood duck box.”
The purpose of these boxes is to provide habitats for wood ducks, which are extremely vulnerable to habitat loss and degradation because of factors like urban expansion and historical over-hunting.
Wood ducks require certain nesting conditions, preferring to make nests in tree cavities as opposed to most ducks, which nest on the ground. This means wood ducks often need to rely on artificial habitats to nest, as natural habitats don’t meet the population demand.
Purtill spoke about wood duck boxes and how they help the ducks themselves.
“Wood duck boxes like ours increase the success rate of a hen’s hatch by about 60-80%, which is a huge deal,” Purtill said.
These duck boxes allow the group to study environmental trends in local wetlands, which plays into the group’s overall goal of wetland conservation and preservation.
Purtill explained how the idea was inspired by his father’s love of watching ducks and his struggle to build quality habits for them.
Ducks Unlimited of Ferris State’s President, Cody Sype, who is a junior in the welding engineering technologies major, explained how integral wood ducks are to the environment.
“They help spread seeds, control insect populations, and contribute nutrients back into the ecosystem,” Sype said. “They’re also an important part of the food chain, serving as prey for other wildlife.”
Protecting and supporting wood duck populations plays a very important role in the conservation of wetlands. Ecosystems rely on wood ducks and other types, so a decrease in population could have major impacts.
Sype explained how crucial wood duck populations are to the local environment.
“If wood duck populations started to drop it would definitely impact the food chain as predators rely on wood ducks and their ducklings as a food source,” Sype said.
The Ducks Unlimited chapter of Ferris State has existed for five years and their goal is to inform students of the importance of protecting North American wetlands and teach students on an individual level what they can do to help the environment. They seek to preserve wetland habitats for future generations.
Wildlife Biologist Pete Kailing, who works for the Michigan DNR spoke about how important wildlife conservation is and how people need to care more about it.
“Wildlife conservation depends on people who care about it at a local level,” Kailing said. “Without that we wouldn’t have much we need people who care about nature and hunting and wildlife”
The Ducks Unlimited Chapter of Ferris State will be holding a spring banquet, raffle and auction on March 28, at the Big Rapids Eagles Banquet Hall.