This episode of the American Birding Podcast is brought to by Zeiss Sports Optics, a leading

manufacturer of high-quality birding optics and advocates for young birder programs, including

the ABA's own young birder camps.

I can tell you from experience you will never regret treating yourself to a great pair of binoculars,

and Zeiss offers great quality at a price point that works for you.

Plus, you're helping to support amazing

experiences for young birders. That is a win-win. For more information, visit your local Zeiss

dealer or go online to zyce.com slash sports optics.

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the American Birding Podcast from the American Birding Association.

I'm your host, Nate Swick.

I want to lead off this time around by talking a little bit about duck stamps.

The duck stamp, formerly known as the migratory bird hunting and conservation stamp,

is one of the conservation initiatives that is undeniable in its impact on bird conservation,

specifically habitat acquisition for the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System. The duck stamp

has been around for decades, and while it has long been associated

with waterfell hunting, and indeed, it is a required purchase for those who wish to participate

in waterfow hunting. In the last decade or so, there has been a push for non-consumptive users

of the refuge system, namely burders, but also photographers, hikers, et cetera, to purchase

these stamps as a way to contribute to the fund that purchases land for these refuges.

It's a simple way to do that.

The overhead is low, so a significant portion of that purchase is directly used for conservation

efforts.

...