Page 23 - Waterfowl

Evolution of Waterfowl and Wetland Conservation—The Missouri Model
Kenneth M. Babcock
The history of mankind is marked with events that began with a vision. Some visions originate from one person while others come from a group of like-minded individuals. Regardless of origin, for any vision to achieve reality, others must embrace it. Missouri’s waterfowl and wetland conservation efforts began as the vision of one man more than sixty-five years ago. That man was Ted Shanks, whose vision became the cornerstone of the Missouri Model of waterfowl and wetland conservation. It garnered support of many others, gained momentum from positive results, and continues to evolve and flourish.
Waterfowl hunters and other conservationists joined forces with professional wildlife managers
to lead the way in the evolution of the Missouri Model. Events over the past seven decades led to public-private partnerships that became the building blocks of this conservation model. In their 1986 album, Twenty Years of Dirt, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band included a song entitled “Partners, Brothers and Friends” and it easily could be the theme song for
the Missouri Model. One verse of that song includes these lyrics:
We’ll catch the fire from the folks in the front row Fan the flames as the beat gets strong
It’s great to be a part of something so good
That’s lasted so long1