Post by Woody Williams on Oct 15, 2005 15:54:54 GMT -5
WW - Here is a group that I will be devoting time and energy to.
Hoosier Heritage Youth Foundation Looking to Involve More Youth in the Outdoors
By Mark Crowley, Editor Tri-State Outdoor News
Youth involvement in the outdoors - which includes hunting and wildlife viewing - has been on a downward trend for several years. It's a national trend and not confined to just our backyard. Now, a new not-for-profit organization is seeking to change that by reaching kids where they spend a great deal of their time – in school.
The Hoosier Heritage Youth Foundation is a grass-roots organization with the goal of increasing youth involvement in the outdoors through education and activities.
"We want to introduce kids to the outdoors whether they want to hunt or not," said HHYF executive Vice President Jeff Phillips, a Boonville native who is returning to the area after living in Indianapolis for several years. "We're going to be at the front end of maintaining the future of our hunting and outdoor heritage;' he added.
Phillips, who is 32 and was studying to become an attorney but changed mid-stream, said he was looking for a purpose in life where he could impact a great number of youth. Growing up in the outdoors hunting and fishing with his father, uncles and grandfather, Phillips realized this was the path for him, imparting his love for the outdoors to Indiana's youth. In a quest to combine his love for the outdoors, conservation and our youth, he teamed up with Return to Nature, Inc, who is a partner with the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation in Halifax, Virginia, to bring their successful youth program to Indiana.
The program was unveiled last year in the Warrick County Schools and met with great success Phillips said. Working with Mike Roberts of Return to Nature, more than 650 students in grades three, four and five learned a great deal about wildlife, the environment and how wildlife relate to their surroundings and each other. Through the use of photography, full-body taxidermy pieces, wildlife calls and live animals, the students put together life sciences and natural resource conservation.
Phillips said the program emphasizes stewardship but the students learn a great deal on top of that Students learn about plant and animal relationships, predator and prey relationships and how the outdoors is one giant ecosystem with each species depending on another for survival. Students also learn about conservation legislation in addition to ecosystem checks and balances.
The program has received the endorsement of Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman and IDNR Director Kyle Hupfer. In a letter to Phillips, the Lt. Gov. wrote: The teaching of respect to our natural resources, as well as the use of strong stewardship practices, makes this a program very worthy of the state's support.
Oakdale Elementary in Boonville was one of three schools that participated in the pilot year for HHYF. The program was well received by not only the students, but the teachers and administration as well.
Commenting on the program, Oakdale principal Tad Powless said, "The students were captivated by Mr. Roberts presentation on being good stewards of nature. Most importantly, the presentation correlated with many of Indiana's Academic Science Standards."
The core goals of HHYF are:
*Educating adults as well as our youth to understand and appreciate the importance of conserving nature's abundant gifts
* Acquiring land suitable to conduct conservation education
* Imparting an understanding for respect of the land and why it must be managed with good stewardship practices
* Working with corporations, governments and private individuals to support the HHYF mission
* Using-our Foundation as template for other conservation efforts within the state
* Prepare future generations to assume the responsibility of managing this project and improving on our efforts.
Phillips said he picked southwestern Indiana as a base for HHYF for a variety of reasons. In addition to this being his home, Phillips cited the abundance of reclaimed coal mine lands that makes this the perfect spot for developing an outdoor laboratory complete with forestry projects, wetland areas, an interpretive game trail, an interpretive center and an area where young people can learn to hunt if they so desire. He said part of the interpretation center would also be dedicated to the coal mining industry and how their reclamation efforts benefit wildlife and their habitat.
"We're working with several coal companies to see what we can do to acquire land along the Interstate 64 corridor. Our goal is a an area that encompasses at least a thousand acres where we can do these things in addition to youth camps for 4-H groups, scouting groups, Greenwing Chapters from Ducks Unlimited, Young Jakes from the National Wild Turkey Federation, Young Bucks Chapters, Whitetails Unlimited and the Safari Club," he said. ,
"So many properties have been locked up and gated these days due to liability issues that it makes it hard for kids to get out and just have fun," Phillips said. "We're losing opportunities to educate our youth on hunting and the outdoors. We want to help counter that."
Phillips anticipates that once HHYF gets up and running, which by the way has added three more schools for 2005-06 school year, it will take approximately $150,000 a year to keep the program in place in addition to help funding our land acquisition. Phillips added that Roberts has already set aside 5 weeks this school year for presentations in Indiana classrooms.
The group's first major fundraiser is slated for Oct. 12 at Quail Crossing Golf Club in Boonville and will include a Shotgun Start golf outing, lunch and dinner. The group is also seeking private and corporate sponsors and is planning another fundraiser later this winter that will include a dinner, auction and special appearances by notable figures in the outdoor world.
"We're going to be inclusive to whomever wants to help. We won't exclude any group wanting to jump in," he said.
For more information on the HHYF, contact Phillips at 812897-3500 or 317-502-1873 and by email at
jphilshop@ao1.com.
WW – thanks to Mark Crowley and Tri-State Media for permission to post this article..
tristate-media.com/
Hoosier Heritage Youth Foundation Looking to Involve More Youth in the Outdoors
By Mark Crowley, Editor Tri-State Outdoor News
Youth involvement in the outdoors - which includes hunting and wildlife viewing - has been on a downward trend for several years. It's a national trend and not confined to just our backyard. Now, a new not-for-profit organization is seeking to change that by reaching kids where they spend a great deal of their time – in school.
The Hoosier Heritage Youth Foundation is a grass-roots organization with the goal of increasing youth involvement in the outdoors through education and activities.
"We want to introduce kids to the outdoors whether they want to hunt or not," said HHYF executive Vice President Jeff Phillips, a Boonville native who is returning to the area after living in Indianapolis for several years. "We're going to be at the front end of maintaining the future of our hunting and outdoor heritage;' he added.
Phillips, who is 32 and was studying to become an attorney but changed mid-stream, said he was looking for a purpose in life where he could impact a great number of youth. Growing up in the outdoors hunting and fishing with his father, uncles and grandfather, Phillips realized this was the path for him, imparting his love for the outdoors to Indiana's youth. In a quest to combine his love for the outdoors, conservation and our youth, he teamed up with Return to Nature, Inc, who is a partner with the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation in Halifax, Virginia, to bring their successful youth program to Indiana.
The program was unveiled last year in the Warrick County Schools and met with great success Phillips said. Working with Mike Roberts of Return to Nature, more than 650 students in grades three, four and five learned a great deal about wildlife, the environment and how wildlife relate to their surroundings and each other. Through the use of photography, full-body taxidermy pieces, wildlife calls and live animals, the students put together life sciences and natural resource conservation.
Phillips said the program emphasizes stewardship but the students learn a great deal on top of that Students learn about plant and animal relationships, predator and prey relationships and how the outdoors is one giant ecosystem with each species depending on another for survival. Students also learn about conservation legislation in addition to ecosystem checks and balances.
The program has received the endorsement of Indiana Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman and IDNR Director Kyle Hupfer. In a letter to Phillips, the Lt. Gov. wrote: The teaching of respect to our natural resources, as well as the use of strong stewardship practices, makes this a program very worthy of the state's support.
Oakdale Elementary in Boonville was one of three schools that participated in the pilot year for HHYF. The program was well received by not only the students, but the teachers and administration as well.
Commenting on the program, Oakdale principal Tad Powless said, "The students were captivated by Mr. Roberts presentation on being good stewards of nature. Most importantly, the presentation correlated with many of Indiana's Academic Science Standards."
The core goals of HHYF are:
*Educating adults as well as our youth to understand and appreciate the importance of conserving nature's abundant gifts
* Acquiring land suitable to conduct conservation education
* Imparting an understanding for respect of the land and why it must be managed with good stewardship practices
* Working with corporations, governments and private individuals to support the HHYF mission
* Using-our Foundation as template for other conservation efforts within the state
* Prepare future generations to assume the responsibility of managing this project and improving on our efforts.
Phillips said he picked southwestern Indiana as a base for HHYF for a variety of reasons. In addition to this being his home, Phillips cited the abundance of reclaimed coal mine lands that makes this the perfect spot for developing an outdoor laboratory complete with forestry projects, wetland areas, an interpretive game trail, an interpretive center and an area where young people can learn to hunt if they so desire. He said part of the interpretation center would also be dedicated to the coal mining industry and how their reclamation efforts benefit wildlife and their habitat.
"We're working with several coal companies to see what we can do to acquire land along the Interstate 64 corridor. Our goal is a an area that encompasses at least a thousand acres where we can do these things in addition to youth camps for 4-H groups, scouting groups, Greenwing Chapters from Ducks Unlimited, Young Jakes from the National Wild Turkey Federation, Young Bucks Chapters, Whitetails Unlimited and the Safari Club," he said. ,
"So many properties have been locked up and gated these days due to liability issues that it makes it hard for kids to get out and just have fun," Phillips said. "We're losing opportunities to educate our youth on hunting and the outdoors. We want to help counter that."
Phillips anticipates that once HHYF gets up and running, which by the way has added three more schools for 2005-06 school year, it will take approximately $150,000 a year to keep the program in place in addition to help funding our land acquisition. Phillips added that Roberts has already set aside 5 weeks this school year for presentations in Indiana classrooms.
The group's first major fundraiser is slated for Oct. 12 at Quail Crossing Golf Club in Boonville and will include a Shotgun Start golf outing, lunch and dinner. The group is also seeking private and corporate sponsors and is planning another fundraiser later this winter that will include a dinner, auction and special appearances by notable figures in the outdoor world.
"We're going to be inclusive to whomever wants to help. We won't exclude any group wanting to jump in," he said.
For more information on the HHYF, contact Phillips at 812897-3500 or 317-502-1873 and by email at
jphilshop@ao1.com.
WW – thanks to Mark Crowley and Tri-State Media for permission to post this article..
tristate-media.com/
