Getting People Outside

The two key words in our mission are wildlife and habitat. They are linked hand-in-hand as there can’t be one without the other, and to accomplish impactful wildlife and habitat conservation there must be a critical mass dedicated to ensuring that wildlife and habitats are valued and conserved.  Therefore, to build a conservation army that is engaged and dedicated we must focus on connecting people with nature/conservation education and assisting folks in entering conservation and conservation leadership.

The activities we engage in give us purpose. Outdoor experiences in backyards, fields, creeks, forests and lakes provide a real sense of being connected to the land. These early life experiences resonate with us the rest of our lives as a foundation for decision-making, expenditures, and as core guiding personal principles. That is why NCWF will be dedicated to ensuring that the next (and current) generations have opportunities to connect with nature, as we must ensure that people, especially kids, have strong affinities for the outdoors. If we lose these connections -  built on outdoor experiences such as fishing, camping, hiking or just exploring outside -  we will lose the next elected officials, voters, decision makers, and business leaders who care about stewardship.  If there are no experiences other than static learning from book and media we lose the commitment, the connection, the deep-in-the-bones need to support conservation.