Texas Brigades summer camp registration ushers in 20 years of wildlife conservation education
SAN ANGELO – This year marks the 20th year anniversary of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service’s Texas Brigades wildlife youth camps, said the camps’ founder.
Dr. Dale Rollins, AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist at San Angelo, started the effort in 1993 with the Bobwhite Brigade.
The intensive five-day educational format has steadily grown and now includes six camps, each centered around a single wildlife species.
“It’s hard to believe that we’re already celebrating our 20th anniversary this year,” Rollins said. “We’re now at the point where we’re seeing some of our graduates becoming leaders in their respective career choices, and that’s a great feeling to realize the fruits of our labors.”
Rollins said since the beginning, the Texas Brigades’ mission has been “to educate and empower youths with leadership skills and knowledge in wildlife, fisheries and land stewardship to become conservation ambassadors for a sustained natural resource legacy.”
“Given the increasing demographic pressures looming over Texas resulting in ever increasing strains on our natural resources, it’s more important now than ever, that our future leaders be well-grounded not only in the ecology of the issues, but also in critical thinking, team-building and public speaking,”he said.
“The Texas they’ll inherit is a much more complex state than the one we live in today, and will demand a higher level of thinking and problem solving. The Texas Brigades help prepare such leaders for these challenges.”
Rollins said registration is now under way for all the camps, but ends March 15, which is earlier than in previous years.
Each camp is limited to 20-30 high school youth ages 13-17.
The camp dates and locations are:
– South Texas Buckskin Brigade, June 3-7, Southern Star Ranch, Uvalde.
– Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade, June 16-20, Centennial Lodge, Coleman.
– South Texas Bobwhite Brigade, June 24-28, 74 Ranch, Campbellton.
– Bass Brigade, July 9-13, Warren Ranch, Santa Anna.
– North Texas Buckskin Brigade, July 15-19, Stasney’s Cook Ranch, Albany.
– Waterfowl Brigade, July 22-26, BigWoods on the Trinity, Tennessee Colony.
The camps are a partnership effort of AgriLife Extension, Texas Wildlife Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, several universities, conservation groups, local soil and water conservation districts, and private businesses and individuals with an interest in wildlife and youth leadership development.
Tuition is $400 per cadet per camp, but Rollins said sponsors are available to provide financial aid to those who qualify.
Rollins said he’s always looking for highly motivated adults from 20 to 60 years old who are willing to serve as adult leaders.
“Adult leaders get a one-of-a-kind intensive workshop in the game species they choose,” he said. “But even better, they’ll come away recharged by the boundless optimism of these youths. Even after 20 years, I’m still energized by these camps, and the hope they lend to conserving our state’s precious natural resources.”
Applications may be completed online or downloaded at http://www.texasbrigades.org .
For more information, contact Helen Holdsworth, Texas Brigades executive director, hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org or Kassi Scheffer, Texas Brigades program coordinator at kscheffer@texas-wildlife.org or 855-TX BRIGS or 210-556-1391.
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Contacts
Dr. Dale Rollins, 325-653-4576, d-rollins@tamu.edu
Helen Holdsworth, 210-332-3560, hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org
