Wildlife Conservation Fund of America
801 Kingsmill Parkway, Columbus, OH 43229
Ph. 614/888-4868 * Fax 614/888-0326
E-mail
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Doug Jeanneret - 614/888-4868 x 212
November 2, 2001 Beth Ruth
- 614/888-4868 x 213
Trailblazer Program Has Exciting Kick-Off
(Columbus) - Over 1,300 Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts and parents recently enjoyed a day of shooting, fishing and other outdoor activities as the Trailblazer Adventure Program held its pilot event near Atlanta.
The Trailblazer Adventure Program is an outdoor education program, created by the Wildlife Conservation Fund of America (WCFA) in conjunction with Boy Scouts of America and the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Trailblazer is designed to involve families in outdoor activities and offer them the chance to engage in these activities through a year-long mentoring program. The inaugural event was a partnership between the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
"We are thrilled to be working with the Boy Scouts and the Georgia DNR to initiate Trailblazer," said Bud Pidgeon, WCFA president. "The goal of the program is to get families involved in outdoor activities. It has the capability of involving tens of thousands of families in the outdoor lifestyle each year."
The day's events, held at the Bert Adams Scout Reservation near Covington, Georgia, included rifle and shotgun shooting, archery, fishing, and a number of nature trails featuring live birds of prey, reptiles and other nature interpretive activities. Program sponsors, Federal Cartridge Company and Zebco, provided products for the Scouts and their parents to use, and over 100 scouting and DNR volunteers worked with the families to insure a positive and safe experience.
Atlanta Area Council Program Director Johnny Day
was extremely pleased with the event.
"I knew this would be an excellent program," said
Day. "I am looking forward to a growing partnership between the Wildlife
Conservation Fund of America, the Boy Scouts and our state wildlife agency.
I intend to recommend the program to other local Boy Scout councils." One
of the key aspects of Trailblazer is a year-long Trail Master mentoring
program available to participants.
The Trail Master program is unique in the conservation community in that it matches interested Scouts and their parent(s) with mentors from local conservation clubs. The mentors are known as Trail Guides and will stay in contact with the Scouts and parents to invite involvement in outdoor activities. These activities will include enrollment in a hunting, fishing, shooting or other outdoor education program, visits to a shooting range and a trip to a sporting goods store for equipment. These activities will culminate with a hunting or fishing trip.
Upon completion of the Trail Master program, Scouts will be recognized as Trail Masters and, in the Boy Scout tradition, awarded a patch at the following year's Trailblazer Adventure Day.
"The Trail Master aspect of this program will put more hunters and fishermen in the field, which is vital to protect and expand wildlife conservation efforts across the country," said Pidgeon. "We are excited about taking this program to more Boy Scout Councils in the coming months."
The Georgia DNR echoed this sentiment.
"It is great to see the involvement of the Scouts
and their parents in this program," said Ken Riddleberger, Senior Wildlife
Biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. "Not
only does it encourage the young people to participate in outdoor sports,
but parents will share the experience with their children and involve them
in outdoor sports."
For more information about the Trailblazer Adventure Program, contact the WCFA Trailblazer coordinator at (614) 888-4868. The WCFA protects and defends America's wildlife conservation programs and the pursuits - hunting, fishing and trapping - that generate the money to pay for them. The WCFA is responsible for public education, legal defense and research. Its mission is accomplished through several distinct programs coordinated to provide the most complete defense capability possible. For more information about the WCFA and its work, call (614) 888-4868.