Governor, First Lady Participate in Lauderdale Refuge Duck Banding Event

Gov. Bill Lee and his wife, Maria, took part in a duck banding event at the Lauderdale Refuge in late February. During the event, the Governor and First Lady assisted in attaching leg bands and GPS backpacks to several ducks.

They were joined by Executive Director Jason Maxedon, Wildlife and Forestry Chief Joe Benedict, Wildlife and Forestry Region I Manager Patrick Lemons, Dr. Bradley Cohen, and his research assistant, PhD student Cory Highway from Tennessee Tech's CohenWildlife Lab.

 “We live in one of the most beautiful states in America, but if we don’t protect and preserve and conserve, then that won’t be true for our grandchildren,” said Gov. Lee, an avid sportsman and conservationist. “So, what we’re doing here today I think is important for generations to come.”

The group caught various types of ducks, banded them, and released them back into the wild. With the technology the band provides, the TWRA will track the ducks and will be able to use that location information for continued wildlife conservation.

---TWRA---