Dr. Edward Futch III was a caring Texas physician, adoring husband, sportsman, conservationist, and philanthropist. In fact, those are the very words on his epitaph. After serving his country in the US Navy in the Pacific, Ed married the love of his life, Sally Trueheart McCullough, in 1944.

The pair were devoted to each other for 66 years before Eds passing in 2008. They shared an acute interest in the people, places, and habitats of the Gulf Coast and Texas, supporting dozens of projects, studies, and policies beneficial to waterfowl and people over the years.

Ed and Sally formed the Edward D. and Sally M. Futch Charitable Foundation to support causes that were important to them. Through its decade-long support of the Texas Prairie Wetlands Project, the foundation has facilitated the conservation of more than 35,000 acres on private lands along the Texas Coast. In addition, the foundation supported the establishment of the Texas Coastal Wetlands Program in 2019. This program works with landowners to tame vegetative overgrowth and enhance habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds.

Understanding that waterfowl know no borders, Ed and Sally began supporting Ducks Unlimited de Mxico (DUMAC) upon its founding in 1974. In DUMACs RESERVA program, they saw an opportunity to impact conservation for generations to come and signed on as enthusiastic, significant supporters. Established in 1989, RESERVA is the first internationally focused, hands-on training program for natural resources professionals in Latin America. To date, RESERVA has trained 652 professionals from 22 countries.

Managed by their niece, Anne Brown, as well as Mike Hughes and DUMAC President Bill Ansell, the foundation continues the Futchs conservation legacy today.