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DUC – Wetland and Wildlife Conservation in Ontario 
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has conserved over 900,000 acres of wetland habitat in Ontario working with many partners including over 2,100 private landowners.
With its many lakes and water systems, Ontario is an important province for wetlands and waterfowl habitat. Its many waterways and natural areas benefit both wildlife and people.
Ontario is also home to over a third of the entire population of Canada. As a result, human activity continues to threaten wetlands and their associated habitats throughout the province.
Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) is active throughout Ontario to conserve these natural areas and help ensure that they remain a part of Ontario’s landscape into the future.
Canadian Duck and Goose Calling Championship
Saturday, August 21 at Bass Pro Shops in Vaughan, Ontario
Take part in this day-long competition featuring junior and senior level duck and goose calling events.
Conservation Efforts
DUC administers conservation projects in Ontario in three areas of ecological concern.
Boreal Forest
Wetland habitat in Ontario’s boreal forest is extremely varied, ranging from bog and fen complexes, to beaver floods and swamps, to lake and river marshes.
Approximately 50 per cent of Ontario’s fall flight (about four million ducks) is produced in this vast region comprising more than 600,000 square kilometers. Our conservation programs in this area are based on minimizing potential threats to loss of wetland habitat.
Lower Great Lakes Coastal Areas
Some of the continent’s most important waterfowl migration habitats are located along the shores of the lower Great Lakes. This area has lost up to 90% of its wetlands.
Our conservation work here is primarily focused on maintaining existing wetlands with some restoration work conducted through cooperative programs with landowners and municipalities.
Southern Ontario Agricultural Region
This region contains a variety of wetland types used by breeding waterfowl and other wildlife. Of greater interest to humans, however, is the impact of wetland loss on the quantity and quality of Ontario’s drinking water.
Education programs and greater public awareness of the many societal benefits of wetland conservation will be key to our success here.
DUC Volunteers
In Ontario, over 1,500 dedicated volunteers help raise funds for wetland conservation through a variety of events. There are five fundraising managers in Ontario who are the key DUC staff contacts and can help introduce new volunteers to a chapter, start a new chapter or work with chapters to help get an event off the ground.
Help support DUC and wetland conservation—volunteer today! You can also support DUC by becoming a member or by making a charitable donation.
Public Policy Efforts
DUC recognizes that in a province that hosts fully 38% of the country’s population, enhanced public policies to protect wetlands will ultimately be the key to our conservation success. The contribution that wetlands make to our water resources is a key public policy issue.
In this regard, DUC submitted a State of the Science report on wetlands and water quality to the Walkerton Inquiry. DUC was subsequently named to the Source Protection Advisory Committee as well as the Nutrient Management Committee to provide advice on the link between wetlands, watersheds and our society. DUC encourages wetland protection in municipal planning.
How you can help conserve wetland habitat in Ontario:
- Join one of our fundraising committees.
- Make a donation to Ducks Unlimited Canada.
- Advocate for wetland conservation in your municipality.
- Learn about the benefits of wetlands and share your knowledge widely.
- Contact one of our Ontario offices for more information about wetland conservation.
Explore Ontario Wetlands
Come on out to Ontario’s public wetland interpretive areas where you and your family can enjoy nature trails, boardwalks, education and adventure. To explore the wonderful world of wetlands in your area, visit us at Down at the Pond.
DUC Ontario Fast Facts*:
- 1,500 volunteers
- 120 fundraising events
- 35,600 supporters
- 7,600 youth involved in DUC’s Greenwing program
- 906,000 acres of habitat secured
- 937 projects completed with over 2,025 different habitat segments
- 2,161 landowners working in partnership with Ducks Unlimited Canada
