MEMPHIS, Tenn. - March 13, 2014 - Ducks Unlimited announced the winners of the 2014 Wetland Conservation Achievement Awards during the 79th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference held in Denver yesterday. This year's recipient in the Communications category is Paul Baicich of Oxon Hills, MD.

Baicich has been an active birder since his early teens in New York City. A former employee of the American Birding Association, he edited 14 of their ABA Birdfinding Guides, as well as their bi-monthly magazine, and served as Director of Conservation and Public Policy. Today, Baicich directs the on-line Great Birding Projects and co-edits the popular monthly Birding Community E-bulletin. He writes regularly for birding magazines, including Bird Watcher's Digest. He has also been instrumental in starting and running Friends of the Migratory Bird/Duck Stamp-a nonprofit dedicated to the promotion, preservation, sales, and better understanding of the Duck Stamp.

"Paul takes every opportunity to promote wetland conservation, especially through the purchase of Federal Duck Stamps," said DU Chief Conservation Officer Paul Schmidt. "He has been inspiring people to think about the stamp's benefits to wetland conservation for years, and has gone beyond the typical hunter audience to reach birders, hikers, elected officials, and others to spread the value of the Duck Stamp, not only for wetlands and birds but for people too."

Ducks Unlimited's Wetland Conservation Achievement Awards are presented annually in six categories to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the conservation and restoration of North America's wetlands and waterfowl. To view a complete list of the 2014 Wetland Conservation Achievement Award winners, please visit www.ducks.org/wetlandawards.

Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org. Connect with us on our Facebook page at facebook.com/DucksUnlimited, follow our tweets at twitter.com/DucksUnlimited and watch DU videos atyoutube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.