Delta Waterfowl to Hold Fundraising Dinner Saturday, April 14

The first New Jersey chapter of Delta Waterfowl will hold a fundraising dinner 6 p.m. Saturday, April 14 at the Forked River Tuna Club, 18 Bay Avenue, Forked River.

The Barnegat Bay Chapter of Delta Waterfowl was formed about eight months ago by Dr. Michael Braden, who serves as its chairman.

"Our chapter will focus on handicapped children and outdoor activities for them, whether it be a nature walk at Cattus Island Park or to Island Beach State Park," said Braden. 

The national organization was formed when waterfowl populations crashed in the 1930's and Minneapolis businessman and sportsman James Ford Bell -- founder of General Mills -- set out to protect the waning resource. Working with scientists, he started the Delta Waterfowl Research Station in Manitoba, Canada. Delta uses the station's scientific research to create successful nesting and predator control programs. Delta Waterfowl now has 46,000 members with chapters in 41 states and 7 provinces.

Braden said they chose to start a Delta Waterfowl chapter because the organization allows local chapters to keep 25 percent of the money they raise for local programs.

"We're losing a lot of land along the Atlantic Flyway and we can purchase land or people can donate land," he said. "We need habitat and predator control. In areas with predator control, nesting success is two to three times higher."

Braden said his chapter does a lot of habitat protection projects. They recently participated in the New Jersey Waterfowlers' 2012 wood duck box building program. The rectangular boxes help boost wood duck populations by giving the birds a safe place to lay their eggs.

While many of Delta Waterfowl's members are hunters, they're all conservationists, according to Braden.

"We give back tenfold than what we take," he said. "Hunters count for a low percentage of the mortality rate.  Hunters are needed to control the population."

The April 14 event will include a buffet dinner and silent and live auctions. A featured carver, Jode Hillman of Mullica Hill, has carved a Brant, a duck that has a large wintering population in New Jersey. The Brant carving will be one of the live auction items.

Tickets are $60 for adults, $110 for couples and $25 for children under 16.  The ticket price includes a year's membership in the organization and a year's subscription to Delta Waterfowl Magazine.

Tickets can be purchased online. Tickets also may be reserved by e-mailing Braden at deltanj@aol.com or can be purchased at the door.