More than 150 waterfowl enthusiasts will join together tonight for the annual Ducks Unlimited banquet at the Kiwanis Building.

The doors will open at 6 p.m., and dinner will be served around 7:15 p.m. The banquet will continue until all events have finished, possibly around 10 p.m. or later.

“We’re going to have some good seafood from Buster’s Seafood in Chatham,” said Carolyn Morris, co-chairman of Covington County Ducks Unlimited. “There will be door prizes, raffles, silent auctions and live auctions and it’s a great chance to socialize and meet your neighbors. All the proceeds will go directly to Ducks Unlimited.”

Ducks Unlimited is a national wildlife conservation organization that conserves, restores and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America’s waterfowl. It has about 608,000 members in the U.S.

Morris said the organization focuses on protecting duck habitats across the U.S., from the far north to areas of Louisiana where some ducks migrate in the winter. She said the local chapter has participated in a few projects to help preserve habitats.

“We’ve made some duck boxes before for the wood duck, which is native to this area and stays here its whole life,” she said. “They can use those boxes to nest. Ducks Unlimited has also helped to restore habitats in Louisiana that were washed away by Hurricane Katrina.”

Morris said the event will be primarily a social occasion and the opportunity to enjoy a good dinner, but there will be auctions and raffles, including a live auction for a Beretta 28 gauge shotgun.

“We’ve got some wonderful guns that are going to be auctioned off,” she said. “We’ve also got some beautiful prints by big-name artists. There are going to be some very good door prizes.”

Morris said the local chapter has roughly 175 members, and she expects to see a crowd of between 150 and 200 at the event tonight.

Tickets are $40 for a single and $60 for a couple and are available from Stokes Sporting Goods (call 222-1225) or at the door.