California Waterfowl President John Carlson, Jr.

Dear friends of California Waterfowl,

During this unprecedented and stressful time of the Covid-19 pandemic, I want to reach out and let you know my thoughts are with each and every one of you. I hope you and your families are staying safe, and are successfully navigating the strange new routines we all face.

It has been no small measure of relief to know that getting outdoors is generally allowed (with appropriate social distancing, of course) and even encouraged for our physical and mental well-being. Whether it's a visit to a nearby marsh, a trip to the woods to chase gobblers or even just sitting on a porch and watching birds and other neighborhood critters, I hope you are able to maintain what is so important to all of us: our connection to nature.

Like most organizations and businesses, California Waterfowl has been deeply affected by the new restrictions on daily life. We have postponed fundraising events and camps, locked our main office in Roseville and dispersed the entire staff to work from their homes (and if you need to reach any of them, you'll find their contact information here).

Unaffected work
We are very fortunate in that some of the most important work we do – restoring and improving wetlands and waterfowl breeding habitat – can continue without jeopardizing the safety of our staff.

Our Waterfowl Programs team will continue with its efforts to support local breeding ducks: the California Wood Duck Program, egg salvage and a new incentive program spearheaded by Waterfowl Programs Supervisor Caroline Brady to delay wheat harvest so mallard nests have a chance to hatch.

And of course, the Hunt Program also goes on. By definition, hunting entails limited social contact, and more than ever, filling our freezers is critically important!

Adapting how we work
Our staff is working hard to adapt to the new work environment.

No schools are open for our education coordinator, Molly Maupin, to visit, so she gathered up the materials that she uses in her programs and made them available online to all the parents who now find themselves homeschooling, and she continues to make herself available to assist remotely. This exemplifies our staff's commitment to our mission, and makes me proud to be part of this organization.

We are also working on plans to shift more fundraising to the digital sphere for the duration of shelter-in-place orders. It isn't nearly as fun as getting together over a good meal at your local community center, but many of you have inquired about how you can support CWA during this time, so we are working on options.

Staying in touch
You can stay on top of Covid-related announcements here, and you can read other CWA news here, as well as on social media (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). Social media has taken on even more importance in these times of isolation, and we hope to be an important part of your digital community.

Finally, like you, we can't wait for this to be over. While we enjoy seeing our supporters at events during normal times, it's going to be as exciting as opening day when we can finally gather together again. In the meantime, please don't hesitate to shoot me an email or give me a call at 916-648-1406 ext. 140 to ask questions or share ideas for how we can move forward in these strange times. I always love hearing from you, and nothing we do would be possible without you.

Please stay safe and well!

Take care,

John Carlson, Jr.
President