When Labor Day weekend comes around, it's time to buy a duck stamp. Whether or not you're a hunter, a $15 investment in a duck stamp is about the best conservation investment an outdoors person could make each year.

Plus, you get a collectable piece of miniature wildlife art. The 2010-11 stamp by Maryland artist Robert Beale depicts an American wigeon.

"Duck stamp" is slang for the Federal Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp. It is required of all migratory bird hunters, but anyone can buy a duck stamp and be assured that the money is used to buy, lease and preserve wetlands all across the U.S.

Created in 1934, duck stamps were originally a federal license for hunting migratory waterfowl. Ninety-eight cents of every duck stamp dollar goes to purchasing or leasing wetland habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Since its inception, this fund has generated more than $700 million for habitat conservation, and purchased or leased more than 5.3 million acres of valuable wetlands.

Waterfowl are just a few of the wildlife species that benefit from duck stamps. Wetlands provide critical habitat for many protected nongame and endangered species, as well. In fact, 59 refuges have been established primarily to provide habitat for threatened or endangered species. Herons, egrets, raptors, frogs, turtles, fish, snakes and myriad insects are just some of the other species that benefit from the habitat duck stamp funds purchase. And of course, wetlands purify water supplies, store flood waters, reduce soil erosion and sedimentation and provide spawning area for many fish.

Duck stamps work for all wildlife and all groups interested in wildlife, not just ducks and hunters. If you've ever gone birding, hiked or photographed wildlife at a refuge, you did it courtesy of the duck stamp program. Buying a duck stamp is a simple way to give a little back.

Plus, a current duck stamp serves as an entrance pass at any National Wildlife Refuge where admission is normally charged.

Duck stamps are available at larger post offices, but they can also be purchased online (www.duckstamp.com) or at big outdoors stores.

Another way to promote waterfowl and wetland conservation is to support Ducks Unlimited (www.ducks.org). The single-minded vision of this international membership organization is "wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever..."

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