The Maryland Wood Duck Initiative is an all-volunteer wildlife conservation effort started in late 2004. Our objectives are to enhance Maryland’s wood duck population and to generate a greater appreciation of the wetland habitats in which they live by advocating and demonstrating the merits of a “best practices” approach in managed nest programs.
Leveraging these focused efforts on the wood duck, we seek to provide a Total Wetlands Experience for our volunteers and the “next generation” through the development of complementary educational programs, internships and research projects.
The 2025 lumber / predator guard order window is now in progress until January 5, 2025.
Please see the attached flyer. Orders must be prepaid and will be delivered in February, 2025. MWDI does maintain any inventory to sell following this order window so please place your wood duck or bluebird orders now! Predator guards can be supplied year round. (See the detailed link). The price is $22 plus tax 6% ($23.32 in total).
Aaron Ward is handling all aspects of our box and guard supply program. Email Aaron at
[email protected] or call him at 410-251-3838 (cell) to indicate your interest in the number of boxes/kits you would like and pickup/ delivery logistics. This indication is non-binding but payment must be prepaid to confirm your order. Mail checks to Aaron for both predator guards and boxes at 28867 Adkins Rd, Delmar, MD 21875.
This program has been very successful over the years in providing high quality nesting boxes and predator guards at prices that are substantially below those which are mostly of inferior quality. MWDI does not financially benefit from the box or guard orders. We simply seek to facilitate their expanded use as part of our mission.
December 2025 Director’s Message
MWDI’s lumber order is underway. Aaron Ward is handling all aspects for MWD ([email protected], cell 410-251-3838). I will continue to assist in coordinating deliveries for boxes and guards. Predator guards are in ample supply and prices are unchanged from last year. Contact Aaron or Phoenix Metals as indicated elsewhere on the website.
The 2025 woodie hatch in Maryland from MWDI’s public sites was believed to have been lower than recent years which were considered stable at around 6,700 ducklings from ~1,500 boxes. Data reporting is not as robust as in prior years but the major projects were off by some 500 ducklings. This year, Kent and Queen Anne counties were more noticeably lower than 2024 by some 250 ducklings. this year. Patuxent State Park in PG Co. (Jug Bay) had a comparable hatch year at around 600 ducklings. Visual observations and hunting success during the fall were relatively weak compared to prior years – another anecdotal negative variable.
Private nesting programs continued to expand favorably by ~75-100 new nest boxes for the 2025 season as MWDI’s primary focus the past few years has been increasingly to support new private programs by site inspection, program advice and access to relatively low cost materials.
MWDI is pleased to report that the Grand National Waterfowl Association not only funded the Chicamicomico River site (70 boxes and guards) which was completed early in 2025 but they agreed to underwrite additional wood duck and other wildlife projects generated by MWDI in Dorchester Co. This year, with their funding support MWDI and MD DNR completed the renovation of the 12 box Nanticoke WMA site that had been neglected for the last 5 years. Other projects generated by MWDI included the re-building of the handicap blind at Lecompte WMA and the purchase of wetland seeds for the pending 20 acre impoundment also at Lecomte WMA. The refurbishment of the 39 box program at Blackwater National Refuge is pending completion before the 2026 nest season after neglect since 2018. Volunteers to manage various sectors of this “easy drive up access” project are now being sought. The Mrytle Grove WMA 25 project (Charles Co.) is also pending refurbishment for the 2026 nest season. The Adkins Arboretum site n QA Co. has been expanded to 10 boxes from 7. Expansion of the Mattawoman River site in Charles Co from 10 to 14-16 boxes is being planned.
MWDI has supplies for new public projects if you wish to initiate one. We review site habitat, assist box location and train volunteers but you must have a project manager identified to monitor the project after installation. MWDI is also ready to assist all private projects. As always, a huge “thank you” to our dedicated volunteers and to MD DNR for helping to make a difference.
Cliff Brown
703-447-5142
[email protected]
