Wood duck pair by Dave Menke, courtesy USFWS

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Advisory Commission named Cliff Brown of the Maryland Wood Duck Initiative, Conservationist of the Year for his exceptional work in the field of wildlife and environmental health.

The Chesapeake Bay Field Office's Partners for Fish Wildlife Program helped Mr. Brown establish several wetlands on his farm in Kent County over the years. He became interested in three neglected wood duck boxes on the property. Through trial and error in his own back yard, Brown learned methods to ensure the success of each box.

Since then, he has continually worked from the local level up to establish the all-volunteer Maryland Wood Duck Initiative in 2004 to enhance Maryland's wood duck population and generate a greater appreciation of their wetlands habitat. Since 2005, the Initiative helped build and install more than 1,500 new boxes on public sites. His volunteers have amassed 12,000 hours through his program.

Other partners in the Maryland Wood Duck Initiative include Maryland Department of natural resources, the National Wildlife Federation, Maryland Envirothon and the Boy Scout's Eagle Scout program.

For more information about the Maryland Wood Duck Initiative, visit www.mwdi.net.