For a half century, J.N. “Ding” Darling influenced the thoughts of millions of Americans across the country with his cartoons, for which he twice was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.

His early attention to America’s eroding natural resources created massive national awareness of the need for conservation.

As Ding hoped, awakened citizens put pressure on their legislatures, both federal and state, to preserve those resources. Darling guided the passage of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act, the establishment of the first Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units at our land-grant colleges, and the founding of the National Wildlife Federation.

Each of these institutions, among many other achievements in which Darling played a pivotal role, remains vigorous today. The Duck Stamp alone has preserved 5,000,000 acres of wildlife habitat. Cooperative Research Units now operate at approximately 50 colleges and universities across the nation. The National Wildlife Federation is the nation’s largest conservation education organization, with more than four million members and supporters.

Christopher D. Koss, President
J.N. “Ding” Darling Foundation