STONEWALL, MANITOBA--(Marketwire - May 26, 2011) - Ducks Unlimited and its partner organizations in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico are celebrating the success of North America's largest and most ambitious conservation campaign, Wetlands for Tomorrow, which raised $1.8 billion.

"It's time to celebrate," says Jeff Nelson, CEO of Ducks Unlimited Canada. "Being continental in scope, Wetlands for Tomorrow served as a rallying point for our organizations by attracting the support of grassroots members and donors as well as corporate, foundation and government partners from many sectors."

First launched in the U.S. in 2004 and in Canada a year later, Wetlands for Tomorrow jointly raised $1.8 billion for Ducks Unlimited's wetlands and waterfowl conservation projects across the continent. These projects can be found from the wintering grounds of the south, through the migration and staging areas of the mid-continent, to the northern breeding grounds of the prairies and the boreal forest.

The campaign provided a platform for many organizations to partner with Ducks Unlimited. Calgary-based TransCanada was a shining example of a company with a continental conservation approach, as enhanced through their $1-million commitment to projects in Saskatchewan and Louisiana.

"We believe that we have the responsibility to protect the environment for future generations," says Donald Wishart, executive vice president, operations and major projects, TransCanada. "This $1 million contribution is just one example of our commitment to environmental education and stewardship. We are proud of our more than 10-year history with Ducks Unlimited and we are excited to be part of this new model of protecting, restoring and enhancing wetlands in both Canada and the U.S."

Over the course of the campaign, two million acres have been conserved in the U.S. and more than 900,000 acres have been conserved in Canada.

"We are celebrating our joint conservation and fundraising accomplishments of the Wetlands for Tomorrow campaign and plan to use this momentum to gear up for the future," says Nelson. "With the continued acceleration of wetland loss and degradation across North America, we have more work to do than ever. This campaign success is indicative of the level of public support for wetland conservation that exists across the continent."

About Ducks Unlimited Canada

Ducks Unlimited Canada is a private, non-profit organization that conserves, restores and manages wetlands and associated habitats for waterfowl. These habitats also benefit other wildlife and people. For more information on wetlands and why they are so important, visit www.ducks.ca.

About TransCanada

With more than 60 years experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure including natural gas and oil pipelines, power generation and gas storage facilities. TransCanada's network of wholly owned natural gas pipelines extends more than 57,000 kilometres (35,500 miles), tapping into virtually all major gas supply basins in North America. TransCanada is one of the continent's largest providers of gas storage and related services with approximately 380 billion cubic feet of storage capacity. A growing independent power producer, TransCanada owns, or has interests in, over 10,800 megawatts of power generation in Canada and the United States. TransCanada is developing one of North America's largest oil delivery systems. TransCanada's common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol TRP. For more information visit: www.transcanada.com.