Wildlife Leadership Academy seeks future conservationists
Wildlife Leadership Academy seeks future conservationists
By Tyler Frantz
Do you know a teen who has what it takes to become Pennsylvania’s next leader in wildlife and fisheries conservation?
The Wildlife Leadership Academy has recently opened its exclusive Youth Conservation Ambassador nomination process to the public and is currently seeking referrals for motivated students ages 14 to 17 to become Certified Conservation Ambassadors. Nominations are now being accepted online at piceweb.org/nominate. Nominated students should demonstrate an interest in wildlife and/or fisheries conservation. Accepted nominees will become certified Conservation Ambassadors through attending one of five 5-day residential summer field schools, which will focus on white-tailed deer, brook trout, ruffed grouse, black bear and one other species yet to be determined.
Students in each field school will gain extensive knowledge about wildlife/fisheries and conservation, leadership experience and communication skills. Applicants may be nominated by adults who know them well, but are not relatives (teachers, school counselors, Envirothon advisors, employers, youth group leaders, etc.).
As Conservation Ambassadors, students receive a letter of a recommendation for college applications, certification of community service work and a certificate designating them as Conservation Ambassadors. Students are also eligible to apply for three college credits through Cedar Crest College, return to the Academy tuition-free the following year, compete for college scholarships and join an Academy Alumni Network of 100+ wildlife, fisheries and conservation professionals.
Conrad-Weiser junior, Hannah Krause, has attended the WLA field schools over the past two summers, and in doing so, has gained an unbelievable wealth of knowledge, skills and contacts from the program.
“Last year, I chose to go to the ‘Bucktails’ field school because of my interests in white-tailed deer and hunting,” Krause explained. “During field school, we learned things related to the deer, like their habitat, age, diet, behavior and population management.”
“Time was spent identifying plant species impacting the deer and how those plants, and others, were used to give us information about the deer. We also took time to appreciate nature through journaling and photography,” Kause said.
“During the week, I couldn’t believe how much I didn’t know about deer that I was able to learn through the different instructors. It was great to be in a small class size with other students who shared my passion. The week was balanced with team building, learning, games and competitions. I made a lot of new friends and had a lot of fun.” “Also, the program is set up so the acquired skills provide you the confidence to continue working on service and educational projects once you leave,” Krause added.
This past summer, Krause qualified to attend the ‘Drummers’ field school as an Assistant Team Leader- a result of the extensive outreach she completed since attending ‘Bucktails.’
“As an Assistant Team Leader, my learning was enhanced by not only gaining further education about Ruffed Grouse (which was awesome), but also teaching fellow students about leadership skills they would employ upon leaving field school, as well as how to complete outreach and work on conservation efforts for the Wildlife Leadership Academy,” Krause said.
“I have had so many experiences as a function of my WLA outreach,” Krause explained. “I’ve done duck, goose and owl banding with the PA Game Commission biologists to study population and migration patterns. I’ve also participated at a bear check-in station and performed deer brain autopsies to test for Chronic Wasting Disease.”
Krause volunteers at Red Creek Wildlife Center to help injured and abandoned animals and birds rehabilitate. Her posters and presentations have been shared to educate others about white-tailed deer and monarch butterflies- another one of her passions. She won the student poster board competition at last year’s conference for The Wildlife Association of PA. She continues to set up monarch habitat waystations and has tagged butterflies for nine consecutive years. She has been published in PA Wildlife Management News and has had the privilege of being a guest speaker on WEEU’s Jack’s Backyardmorning show.
Krause currently serves as a WLA Ambassador for Conservation Education, and she plans to pursue further education in a wildlife ecology program at college. Thanks to the academy, she’s off to a pretty good start.
“I’m very thankful for all the opportunities presented through my association with WLA,” Krause said. “I’m really looking forward to the many other events I’ll be participating in so I can continue my learning and outreach. Everybody I work with is open to helping me achieve my goals, which has been so rewarding.”
“I genuinely believe I am being groomed as the next generation’s leader in wildlife ecology, thanks to the inspiration and help from the Wildlife Leadership Academy,” Krause said.
Krause’s success is just one of many young conservationists whose lives have been changed through their involvement with the Wildlife Leadership Academy, as its field schools and outreach programs continue to pass on the legacy of conservation education to our state’s future leaders each year. The WLA is a cooperative initiative involving state agencies and conservation organizations administered by the Pennsylvania Institute for Conservation Education, whose mission is to connect people, nature and the community.
For more information, contact Institute Director, Michele Kittell, at mkittell@piceweb.org or (570) 245-8518 or Program Coordinator, Katie Cassidy at kcassidy@piceweb.org or (570) 939-5109. You can also connect with the Academy online at www.PICEweb.orgor facebook.com/wildlifeleadershipacademy.
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