Waterfowl Festival Board of Directors present check to DU Conservation for a Continent program. In order from left to right: Deena Kilmon, Executive Director, Waterfowl Festival; Jake McPherson, Ducks Unlimited Managing Director of Development- Great Lakes/Atlantic Region; Julie Susman, President, Waterfowl Festival 2025, Austin Durrer, Waterfowl Development Committee Chairman; Chip Heaps, Waterfowl Conservation Committee Chairman; Ernest Burns& Jonathon Rondeau, Waterfowl Board of Directors; Taylor Deemer, DU Director of Development/MD-DE; Colin Perry, Amy Horne, and Kim Newcomb, Waterfowl Board of Directors.

The Waterfowl Festival announced today a $70,000 conservation investment to support DU’s Conservation for a Continent Campaign in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These projects will restore wetlands on publicly accessible lands—ensuring that Maryland residents, sportsmen and women, birdwatchers, and future generations have access to natural and wild open spaces.This funding will directly benefit waterfowl, wildlife, water quality, and outdoor recreation at three high-priority sites: Browns Branch Wildlife Management Area (Queen Anne’s County), LeCompte Wildlife Management Area (Dorchester Co), and Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (Dorchester County).

For more than 50 years, the Waterfowl Festival has celebrated the rich traditions of the Chesapeake Bay while advancing habitat conservation. This year’s gift, funded by the proceeds from the festival’s annual and iconic Premiere Night event,  underscores the Festival’s renewed commitment to protecting the landscapes that sustain both wildlife and the way of life that makes the Shore unique.

“Supporting meaningful, strategic, and shovel-ready  projects of this size ensures that our investment in conservation has lasting impact,” said Julie Susman, Board President, Waterfowl Festival. “These projects improve waterfowl habitat in some of the most important areas of the Atlantic Flyway while also enhancing public access, recreation, and the health of the Chesapeake Bay.”

The $70,000 contribution will help fund three major projects:

• Browns Branch Wildlife Management Area (Queen Anne’s County) – $20,000 will restore 16.2 acres of marginal farmland into shallow emergent wetlands, improving habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds while reducing an estimated 826 pounds of nitrogen and nearly 39,000 pounds of sediment from entering the Bay each year.

• LeCompte Wildlife Management Area (Dorchester County) – $20,000 will support the conversion of 16.6 acres of agricultural land into managed wetlands, enhancing habitat for migratory waterfowl and reducing more than 1,100 pounds of nitrogen and 59,000 pounds of suspended solids annually in the Nanticoke watershed.

• Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (Dorchester County) – $30,000 will leverage federal funding to restore 23 acres within the Refuge’s core 250-acre managed wetland complex. This work will sustain one of the most important wintering grounds for migratory waterfowl and improve water quality by reducing 1,800 pounds of nitrogen and more than 160 tons of sediment annually.

“The Chesapeake Bay’s wetlands are irreplaceable for waterfowl and people alike,” said Taylor Deemer, DU Director of Development/Maryland-Delaware. “The Waterfowl Festival’s investment is a powerful example of how conservation and community come together to make a lasting difference.”

Projects are expected to be completed by June 2026.

About the Waterfowl Festival
The Waterfowl Festival, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Easton, Maryland, is dedicated to wildlife conservation, the celebration of waterfowl art, and the preservation of Eastern Shore heritage. Since its founding in 1971, the Festival has raised millions for habitat restoration and community programs across the Chesapeake Bay region. Learn more at www.waterfowlfestival.org.

The Waterfowl Festival is pleased to announce that they have selected 15 qualified recipients of this year’s William H. Perry Scholarships with a combined total of  $30,000.

The scholarship recipients are William Sherwood, Chesapeake College; Liam Swadley, Rochester Institute of Technology; Lavinia Tindall, University of Maryland; Pippa Milhollan, University of Maryland; Robert Norbury, Wor-Wic College; Viviana Morris, University of Chicago; Joshua Sherwood, University of Maryland; Jack Townsend, Salisbury University; Isabella Jobeck, James Madison University; Graham Willis, Chesapeake College; Charles Kaminskas, Coastal Carolina University; Brian Milhollan, University of Kentucky; Billy Haufe, University of Maryland ; Ashton Milhollan, Loyola University; Cole Paradine, University of Maryland.

Ernie Burns, Chairman of the Waterfowl Festival Scholarship Committee, shared, “We are incredibly proud of our recipients. Their dedication to volunteerism truly embodies the spirit of the Waterfowl Festival and the Eastern Shore.”

Each year, students from across the region who have served as “duck sitters” or youth volunteers for the Festival are invited to apply for academic support through the William A. Perry Scholarship Fund. This scholarship recognizes the young volunteers whose energy, dedication, and enthusiasm have been an important part of the legacy of this family friendly event for over fifty years.

Created in honor of Festival co-founder William A. Perry and his wife Betty, this fund supports students from across the region for their post-secondary education.

To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must be high school seniors or current students enrolled in an accredited college, university, trade school, or graduate/post-graduate program. They must also be in good academic standing and have contributed significant time and service as a volunteer for the Waterfowl Festival. To volunteer, please email [email protected] or call the festival office, 410-822-4567.

About the Waterfowl Festival

Since 1971, the Waterfowl Festival has raised nearly six million dollars for conservation and education efforts. Proceeds from the festival support various environmental, art, student scholarships,  and cultural initiatives, ensuring that future generations can understand and enjoy the beauty and diversity of waterfowl and their environments. The festival also plays a vital role in supporting the local community, drawing visitors from around the country and boosting the regional economy.

The Waterfowl Festival gratefully acknowledges the support of the Maryland State Arts Council, the Maryland Historic Trust, the Town of Easton, Talbot County Government, and all of our incredible community partners including the hundreds of volunteers that make all the magic happen.

For more information about the Waterfowl Festival, including ticket sales and a full schedule of events, please visit www.waterfowlfestival.org.

The Waterfowl Festival is excited to match resources with environmental needs across the region through its annual “Community in Conservation” funding program. These grants, supported by proceeds from annual Waterfowl Festival weekend, annual donors, and the Conservation Dinner Series, offer non-profits and community entities the chance to receive monies for projects and initiatives at the intersection of conservation and community.

“We are pleased to offer this grant opportunity for our mission-aligned organizations here on the Delmarva peninsula,” remarked Eric Milhollan, President, Waterfowl Festival Board of Directors.  “Now more than ever, it is critical that we provide support and encouragement to those organizations who are working hard to celebrate the natural environment and preserve it for future generations.”

Over the past five decades, dozens of organizations have been supported by the Waterfowl Festival, creating a legacy of education, leadership, and engagement in the conservation space. Recent projects and grantees include Ducks Unlimited, the Wellington Wildlife Management Area, Phillips Wharf Environmental Center,  University of MD Center for Environmental Science – Project: Enhancing the Horn Point Nature Trail Experience, and the ShoreRivers – Project: Underwater Grasses Restoration.

“The Waterfowl Festival has been a long-time conservation partner of Ducks Unlimited,” said Regional Biologist Ed Farley. “Right now, we are restoring a 40-acre wetland that was historically drained for row crops at Wellington Wildlife Management Area. The work could not have been done without funding from the Waterfowl Festival.”

Maryland, Virginia, or Delaware organizations are encouraged to reach out to the Waterfowl Festival with their unique projects needing crucial funding through this grant program. The 2024 grant cycle will begin April 1, 2024 and continue through July 31, 2024. Grantees will be announced and funds distributed by November 7, 2024 in advance of the 53rd Annual Waterfowl Festival in Easton, MD.

The 2024 Conservation Dinner will be held in June in Easton, MD. Those interested in sponsoring or attending this dinner are encouraged to reach out to the Festival via marketing@waterfowlfestival.org.

Guidelines to apply:

Please submit your application via our online portal (mailed copies will not be accepted)

Application portal: https://waterfowlfestival.org/conservation/community-in-conservation/

Deadline: July 1, 2024

With this focus on connecting our financial resources to local environmental needs we now support projects in these four priority areas:

1. Initiatives at the intersections of waterfowl conservation and community

2. Education programs on Delmarva focusing on current and future generations of conservationists, enthusiasts and educators

3. Research and scientific work of graduate students, volunteer groups
   and non-profits on Delmarva

Restoration and conservation of projects that benefit waterfowl and
regional habitat enhancement in ways that connect with larger bay habitat
restoration goals

—

Eric Milhollan, the new President of Waterfowl Festival, Inc. Board of Directors.

Waterfowl Festival, Inc. is pleased to recognize Eric Milhollan as the new President of its Board of Directors. Eric brings invaluable experience as a strong community and business leader. He currently is a senior project manager and part-owner at Willow Construction LLC, and has served as a volunteer for the Festival for many years along with his wife Victoria and their children.

Eric has over twenty-eight years of experience with Willow and has witnessed the growth of Easton from a sleepy town to a thriving and growing regional destination for businesses and families alike. He graduated from Salisbury University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management. Other boards he has served on include the local Associated Builders and Contractors, Talbot County Chamber of Commerce,  and Shore Leadership, and he is a 2019 Leadership Maryland graduate.  Utilizing skills from his professional and business experience, Milhollan is poised to take the Waterfowl Festival into 2024 successfully.

“Eric’s wealth of experience and his deep-rooted connection to the Waterfowl Festival makes him an ideal candidate for the role of President,” remarked Charles Wrighton, 2023 president. “We are confident that under his guidance, the festival will continue to thrive, allowing us to continue to support conservation efforts in our region.”

Milhollan’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the Waterfowl Festival as it continues to evolve and adapt to support the community as well as its mission of conservation of our natural landscapes. With a consistent economic impact of millions of dollars each year, the Festival continues to be an event that has a considerable positive effect on the region after five decades.

The 53rd Waterfowl Festival is now accepting applications for vendors, artists, and sponsors! To connect with the Waterfowl Festival directly, please visit our website or email [email protected].