Washington, D.C. - November 2, 2015 - More than 60,000 high school and college Future Farmers of America (FFA) members and alumni gathered in Louisville, Ky., Oct. 28-31 to celebrate youth leadership in agriculture.

For the fourth consecutive year, Ducks Unlimited and other supporting organizations had a big presence at the 88th annual Future Farmers of America (FFA) National Convention and Expo to spread the word about DU's wetlands and waterfowl conservation mission to the next generation of conservationists.

"Interacting with thousands of young people who share our core values - stewardship of the land, conservation of natural resources and a love of waterfowling - is truly inspiring," said Mark Horobetz, Manager of Youth and Education Programs for Ducks Unlimited. "Every year, this event excites me about the future of conservation. Engaging with these youth leaders continues to be an important part of Ducks Unlimited's youth program."

DU staff and volunteers traveled from around the country to connect with the FFA students. They shared knowledge about wetlands conservation, DU projects and information regarding DU's Varsity (high school) and University programs. Along with informational material, including internship opportunities, DU distributed backpacks, decals and other merchandise for the students to take home.

"I want to thank Ducks Unlimited for being here and sharing their conservation mission with our students," said Arne Anderson, Ag-Science teacher and FFA advisor at Centennial High School in Utica, Nebraska. "I try and instill those same principles in my students and welcome opportunities, like the FFA Convention, for them to appreciate the habitat and get involved in taking care of it."

This year, DU partnered with corporate supporter Purina Pro Plan to provide a one-of-a-kind experience at the convention. Attendees took photos in a duck blind replica and posed for photos with a Purina Pro Plan dog, Fin, a 3-year-old yellow lab. As a way to connect with the students and spread the conservation message, DU encouraged attendees to share their photos on social media platforms using various hashtags including #duckdog #proplandog #speakag and #ducksunlimited. Photos from the event were also shared on DU's official twitter and instagram accounts.

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 at youtube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.

Media Contact:
Tucker Nelson
(202) 621-1646
tnelson@ducks.org