Longtime Ducks Unlimited (DU) Magazine editor-at-large and DU TV co-host Wade Bourne was recently honored with the Southeastern Outdoor Press Association's (SEOPA) Lifetime Achievement Award at the group's annual convention.

Bourne has been host or co-host of DU TV since 2004, sharing his waterfowl exploits and expertise with viewers throughout North America. He has authored six books and is a lifelong outdoor writer/broadcaster, covering waterfowl, fisheries and conservation issues for more than three decades.

"I was surprised and humbled by this award," Bourne said. "I'm also very blessed to have made a career sharing the joys and traditions of the sporting life and promoting conservation of our natural resources."

The award recognizes those "who contribute to the membership's profession and craft" and are instrumental in making improvements to the organization. Bourne becomes only the seventh individual in SEOPA's 50 years of existence to be recognized with this award. Over the years Bourne has been the recipient of numerous Excellence in Craft awards from SEOPA, has written more than 2,500 articles and has been named to the Legends of the Outdoors Hall of Fame and the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.

"Wade Bourne is a consummate communications professional," said DU's Chief Communications Officer, Tom Fulgham. "His work has not only helped America's hunters and anglers become more proficient but has also inspired us to be better stewards of our wildlife resources and outdoor heritage. All of us at Ducks Unlimited appreciate Wade's significant contribution to waterfowling and conservation, and we congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition."

SEOPA held its 50th anniversary celebration at Fontana Village, N.C., where the organization held its first meeting.

For more information, visit www.seopa.org.
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 13 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org. Connect with us on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DucksUnlimited, follow our tweets at www.twitter.com/DucksUnlimited and watch DU videos at www.youtube.com/DucksUnlimitedInc.

Matt Coffey
(901) 758-3764
mcoffey@ducks.org