The Milford Museum American History Series will host a program about the history of duck decoys on the Delmarva Peninsula at 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12, at Milford Public Library, 11 SE Front St., Milford.

Renowned duck decoy carver Rich Smoker will be the guest speaker. 

Wooden wildfowl decoys were a common hunting tool on Delmarva. Carved and painted to lure wild birds into range for the hunters, these decoys had regional shapes, styles and paint schemes that varied from the upper bay area to the lower shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Many of the decoys that were created on the Delmarva Peninsula are highly collectible as art.
 
Smoker grew up on the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania and developed an interest in waterfowl at an early age. In 1982, he moved to Maryland and became invested in the legacy of decoy makers Lem and Steve Ward. Since then, he has carved thousands of birds and has also become an active carving teacher. In competition, Smoker has won more than 100 best-in-show titles.

Co-sponsored by the Milford Museum and the Milford Public Library, these monthly programs focus on a variety of topics concerning local, state and national history.

For more information, contact the museum at 302-424-1080 or info@milforddemuseum.org. Programs are offered through a generous grant from the Delaware Heritage Commission.