When Ken Orich takes his daily walk through the Elizabeth Hall Wetlands in the Lethbridge River valley, he sees an “oasis in the middle of the city. It’s a place to be cherished.”

The wetlands area this week is as it should be nearing spring. With the warm, morning sun, the sound of birds cheering winter’s wind-up and people like Ken to appreciate it, the oxbow pond is no doubt what Ducks Unlimited envisioned more than 50 years ago as a conservation project.

“I’ve counted 100 species of birds here,” says Ken. “It’s my favorite place in Lethbridge.”

The nature reserve attracts several species of ducks, Canada geese, bald eagles, prairie falcons, kingfishers and Northern Orioles, for starters. Coyotes, deer, muskrats, beaver, painted turtles, fishing spiders and northern pike are also found there.

It’s appropriate mallards started showing up in a small pool of open water at the pond’s southeastern corner a few days ago. Today marks the start of the spring Ducks Unlimited fund-raising efforts in the area.

Lorne Schlachter, chairman of the Bow Island DU chapter, says the group traditionally has the first dinner in the area.

“We’ve been sponsoring a dinner for the past 22 years, 20 of them at the Burdett Community Hall” where it will be held tonight again.

“It’s kind of a social event in the community” for the 250 who are expected to attend. ”We usually have a waiting list for tickets.”

Last year’s dinner raised $52,000 for DU conservation projects. Alberta banquets lead the way for fund-raising across Canada.

“It’s an easy sell for us. Attitudes toward wetlands have really changed to conservation.,” says Lorne.

DU, the granddaddy of conservation fund-raising groups, started funding wetlands projects across North America 70 years ago. More than 1,800 have an Alberta focus. The money goes toward a goal to “identify, protect, restore and manage habitats for the benefit of North American waterfowl, wildlife, and community.”

Other than the Elizabeth Hall Wetlands, notable area efforts include Kitsam and Medicine Wheel projects southwest of Brooks and a significant new project on the Milk River Ridge south of Cardston. The Milk River Ridge Landscape plan, in an area classified as critical and “in need of immediate action to conserve, restore and enhance its highly productive waterfowl habitat,” involves the largest purchase of land ever for DU.

A six-year campaign to raise $3 million concludes next year allowing for “the conservation and restoration of over 550 wetland basins and approximately 21,500 acres of upland habitat,” says DU campaign leader Lloyd Derry.

Dinners are scheduled over the next month and a half at Coaldale, Taber and Crowsnest Pass.

While DU supports wildlife through conservation, Clive Schaupmeyer of Coaldale is using his wonderful wildlife and landscape photography to support programming at the Coaldale Library and Haiti relief efforts.

Thirty-four of his photographs, illustrating “Our Southern Alberta” are on display at the McCain Gallery until March 29.

Oh and did I mention spring’s near?