MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Ducks Unlimited recently announced that jeanswear maker Wrangler will donate $100,000 over five years for conservation and land acquisition in North Carolina, home of the global headquarters for the Wrangler brand and its parent company, Kontoor Brands Inc.

The collaboration supports the Alcoa Land Project, which brought diverse supporters together to purchase and permanently protect a significant stretch of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River in Davie, Davidson and Rowan counties, helping to maintain and improve the river’s water quality, safeguard wildlife habitat, and provide public recreation opportunities.

“Wrangler has always had a deep connection to the land, which is why it is important for us to expand our collaboration with Ducks Unlimited,” said Tom Waldron, Wrangler vice president and global brand president.

“With a sincere interest in respecting the environment in which we live and acting on a desire to explore new ways to care for the land that feeds and clothes us, Wrangler has chosen to support DU,” said Will Johnson, director of development Ducks Unlimited. “We commend and appreciates the commitment to conservation that Wrangler has offered, and as an organization, we look forward to a lengthy relationship benefiting North America’s wetlands.”

Last year, Wrangler helped Ducks Unlimited restore a wetland at the Petersen Bend Farm in northeast Colorado. The project included reconstruction of three wetland cells, totaling 40 acres. Additionally, 55 acres was planted with native grassland with a pollinator mix.