Sunday, Feb. 22, was a sunny day with temperatures in the teens, but it didn’t stop 243 children from showing up to help build housing for wood ducks.
The 26th annual Youth Wood Duck Box Building Day sponsored by the Scott-Le Sueur Waterfowlers at the New Prague Knights of Columbus Hall. Organizers said it had been busy as 50 children, age 16 and younger, had signed up in the first 90 minutes of the four-hour event. Around 10 a.m., the number of children and their families waiting to help build wooden houses for wood ducks stretched out the front door said organizers.
Craig Hensel of the Scott-Le Sueur Waterfowlers said the day is to help educate children on the environment, build wood duck houses that can be put up around the area and work on habitat restoration.
Among those building the rectangular houses was Carey Heitz of New Prague with his son Asher, age 3, and daughter, Tatum, age 1. Heitz and a volunteer were helping the children hold the electric screwdriver drill in the screws to hold the duck house together. For Heitz and his children, this was their...
To see more on this story pick up the February 26, 2026 print edition of The New Prague Times.