DUCKS' DISPLAY DONATED TO
NATURAL RESOURCES COLLEGE IN
MEMORY OF FORMER WILDLIFE STUDENT
BLACKSBURG,
Sept. 10, 2003 - After the death
of a 1977 wildlife graduate, John
Griffiths, a unique collection
of ducks was donated to the College
of Natural Resources in his memory.
Located in the College of Natural
Resources on the first floor of
Cheatham Hall at Virginia Tech,
the collection of ducks not only
have become a star attraction
but they are also used to educate
students about the various types
of wild ducks.
"The display is one of the central
centerpieces of what visitors
and students notice and talk about,"
says Don Orth, department head
of fisheries and wildlife sciences.
"Every student does not have the
opportunity to see these kinds
of ducks in the wild, so having
them here for students to study
is a wonderful resource."
"It's like working with real animals,"
explains Carola Haas, associate
professor of fisheries and wildlife
sciences. "They are used as a
hands-on learning tool, helping
students identify different features
of a duck." The duck display is
also used for events within the
college including the Farm and
Family Showcase, 4-H events, and
local educational programs.
Haas described the ducks as taxidermic
mounts. "Today there are a limited
number of people who continue
to make taxidermic mounts. It
is a real valuable art and the
duck display is something that
would be hard to replace."
John
Griffiths, the former student
whom the display honors, died
in October 2000 after a long battle
of brain cancer at his home in
McLean, Va. Griffiths had a passion
for the wildlife including hunting,
fishing, and waterfowl. Griffiths'
brother Rick Griffiths, a forestry
graduate of 1978, is a photographer
for Virginia Tech's University
Relations Department.
For
more information on the duck display
contact Don Orth at dorth@vt.edu
or (540) 231-5573, and Rick Griffiths
at griffr@vt.edu or (540) 231-6993.
