Seth Tillman transferred to Appalachian State University in his junior year. To this point in his life, he had never volunteered or been a member of Ducks Unlimited. That all changed when Landon Hines, a member of the Appalachian State DU chapter invited Tillman to an interest meeting being held on campus.

A couple of years ago, I went duck hunting for the first time with family, Tillman says. When I transferred to Appalachian State I became friends with Landon. He invited me to a meeting for the DU chapter and my passion grew from there. Once Landon graduated I became cochairman. My goal was to raise awareness and dollars for wetlands conservation.

Tillman and the committee strive to increase attendance each year. They understand the importance of preselling tickets and the impact it has on the event. It is important to delegate responsibility to each member of the committee, and its easier to do that when we are making a difference and having fun, Tillman says. We may be a small chapter compared to other colleges, but our cause is still the same.

Tillman would like to encourage other students who have a passion for conservation to get involved with the Appalachian State University DU chapter or a chapter at their own university. To learn more about how you can make a difference in conservation and to get involved with a university chapter near you, visit ducks.org/volunteer. To view great work being done by other university chapters, visit the University Chapter Spotlight page.