Inheriting a Legacy of Eco-Friendly Living

As far back as Jaxon Lang can recollect, there was always a Ducks Unlimited publication present in their home. His parents, Louise and Andy, were members of DU and ensured that Jaxon became a Greenwing member. They also took great care to introduce him to the wonders of the Prairie Pothole Region located in west-central Minnesota. “Aside from attending DU banquets and hunting, I was exposed from an early age to the ethos of conservation,” Jaxon remarks.

During his elementary school years, the wetland pothole adjacent to his mother’s family farm was drained. While in seventh grade, Jaxon had the chance to draft a bill for a mock legislative session in his American Government class. The bill he proposed focused on wetland preservation, incorporating penalties for unauthorized drainage and financing for the restoration and upkeep of prairie pothole wetlands.

Following his college education, Jaxon wed his high school love, Allison. Years later, it was Allison’s encouraging phrase “if not you, then who?” that led both of them toward a more profound dedication to wetlands and waterfowl preservation. At that point, a DU initiative at Minnesota’s Lake Christina stood as the flagship project of DU’s Living Lakes Initiative, and Adam DeHaan, Senior Director of Development at DU, approached the Langs with the chance to become DU Diamond Life Sponsors. Recently, Jaxon and Allison committed to being DU Legacy Sponsors in support of the Preserve Our Prairies Initiative.

The couple also implements conservation practices on their property in Minnesota. In 2017, during a meeting of the Pelican Lake Property Owners Association, Greg Lillemon, the environmental services administrator for Grant County, discussed public grant funding available to tackle nutrient runoff related to the lawns surrounding the lake. Afterward, Jaxon sought information about the land he had recently acquired, and Greg connected him with US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) biologist Shawn Papon specializing in private lands. Shawn subsequently referred him to Joe Montonye from the Grant County Soil and Water Conservation District, who facilitated the initiation of a project. This project restored a small wetland on their land, established a conservation easement, and planted wildflowers around their shallow lake, which is now fondly known as Lake Allison.

In 2019, Jaxon and Allison reestablished contact with Shawn after they bought a farm. A unique collaboration involved the USFWS, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Grant County Soil and Water Conservation District, and USDA Farm Service Agency, supplemented by support from Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever. They executed a project melding the Conservation Reserve Program with wetland easements and a grassland prairie easement on their property. “The outcomes were remarkable,” Jaxon explains. “There exists a splendid network of individuals, organizations, and initiatives available if you have the time and are ready to serve as the central point that links them all. I managed to accomplish that and even made the project ‘pencil out.’”

Jaxon and Allison persist in seeking chances to effect change. “We are fortunate to enjoy the land while we are here, and we recognize our duty to pass it along to our children, Daisy and Mason,” Jaxon states. “It’s not just the land, but the conservation ethos that we aim to bequeath. Every couple of months we ensure that Ducks Unlimited magazine is present on both our kids’ nightstands. We’re thrilled with our achievements, and with the hopeful outlook of a duck hunter, I’m optimistic that the best is yet to arrive.”