03-29-2007, 04:10 PM
LITTLE ROCK - The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's charge is to wisely manage the state's fish and wildlife resources while providing maximum enjoyment for the people. Another important goal is introducing young Arkansans to the joys of the great outdoors, and this spring the AGFC will do that with the AGFC Youth Outdoor Expo.
AGFC will host three youth outdoors expos in May, allowing thousands of fifth-grade students from around the state to get hands-on experience in areas such as archery, fishing and shooting. AGFC employees also will show students how they go about their business of keeping the NaturalState true to its name.
Youth expos will be held at the USDA Forest Service campground at LakeSylvia (PerryCounty) May 3-4, the Forrest L. Wood Crowley's RidgeNatureCenter in Jonesboro May 10-11 and the JanetHuckabeeArkansas RiverValleyNatureCenter in Fort Smith May 10-11. All events will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. About 4,000 students are expected to attend the three expos.
"We want to expose kids to outdoor recreational pursuits and to what we do at the Game and Fish Commission," said Eric DeVries, AGFC regional education coordinator. "We want them to know that we go about all this in a scientific way."
Students will arrive by bus in the morning. They'll be greeted by an AGFC employee volunteer, who'll serve as their "tour guide" throughout the day. Groups of students will rotate through a series of outdoor-themed stations, where they'll take part in guided activities such as archery, fishing and air rifles. There also will be stations for wildlife and fisheries biology, where AGFC biologists will explain the science behind fish and wildlife management and show students some of the tools used to manage Arkansas' fish and game.
Another station will allow students to visit with wildlife officers and other AGFC employees about the various jobs they perform. The AGFC mobile aquarium and a crawfish exhibit also will be on display. AGFC will stock fish from its hatchery system in order to increase the odds of the students catching fish during the expo.
"It will be very hands-on," DeVries said. "We just want these kids to get outside in nature and try some of these things. This is the next generation of sportsmen, and if we don't expose them to these things, how will they know about them?"
It isn't just about the kids, though.
"Not only will we be exposing kids to outdoors recreation, but we'll also be exposing parents and teachers to the great outdoors," DeVries said.
In addition to AGFC, the expos are being sponsored by the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, Weatherby Foundation International, the USDA Forest Service and Daisy Outdoor Products.
More information is available by calling DeVries at (501) 223-6402 or by e-mailing efdevries@agfc.state.ar.us.
AGFC will host three youth outdoors expos in May, allowing thousands of fifth-grade students from around the state to get hands-on experience in areas such as archery, fishing and shooting. AGFC employees also will show students how they go about their business of keeping the NaturalState true to its name.
Youth expos will be held at the USDA Forest Service campground at LakeSylvia (PerryCounty) May 3-4, the Forrest L. Wood Crowley's RidgeNatureCenter in Jonesboro May 10-11 and the JanetHuckabeeArkansas RiverValleyNatureCenter in Fort Smith May 10-11. All events will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. About 4,000 students are expected to attend the three expos.
"We want to expose kids to outdoor recreational pursuits and to what we do at the Game and Fish Commission," said Eric DeVries, AGFC regional education coordinator. "We want them to know that we go about all this in a scientific way."
Students will arrive by bus in the morning. They'll be greeted by an AGFC employee volunteer, who'll serve as their "tour guide" throughout the day. Groups of students will rotate through a series of outdoor-themed stations, where they'll take part in guided activities such as archery, fishing and air rifles. There also will be stations for wildlife and fisheries biology, where AGFC biologists will explain the science behind fish and wildlife management and show students some of the tools used to manage Arkansas' fish and game.
Another station will allow students to visit with wildlife officers and other AGFC employees about the various jobs they perform. The AGFC mobile aquarium and a crawfish exhibit also will be on display. AGFC will stock fish from its hatchery system in order to increase the odds of the students catching fish during the expo.
"It will be very hands-on," DeVries said. "We just want these kids to get outside in nature and try some of these things. This is the next generation of sportsmen, and if we don't expose them to these things, how will they know about them?"
It isn't just about the kids, though.
"Not only will we be exposing kids to outdoors recreation, but we'll also be exposing parents and teachers to the great outdoors," DeVries said.
In addition to AGFC, the expos are being sponsored by the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, Weatherby Foundation International, the USDA Forest Service and Daisy Outdoor Products.
More information is available by calling DeVries at (501) 223-6402 or by e-mailing efdevries@agfc.state.ar.us.