Conservation can and should go beyond buying a hunting or fishing license. And one of the best ways we can all help is with our time.

 

Houston Safari Club Foundation and GoWild have teamed up to promote an entire week dedicated to educating hunters and anglers on how to get involved and make an impact beyond their dollars.

 

“Conservation means something different to all of us,” said Joe Betar, Executive Director of Houston Safari Club Foundation. “Our goal with this week is to get people involved in whatever area they’re passionate about because together, we can really make an impact overall.”

 

Houston Safari Club Foundation’s mission is to preserve the sport of hunting through education, conservation and the promotion of hunting heritage. While the group is based in Texas and focuses primarily on hunting, National Conservation Week poses a chance for hunters and anglers nationwide to band together and make an impact.

 

“Hunters love to call themselves conservationists, and many of us truly are,” said Brad Luttrell, Co-Founder of GoWild. “But we wanted to find a way to push beyond our license dollars to encourage folks to get out and enjoy nature while getting our hands dirty for the right reasons.”

 

Together the two organizations are advocating that hunters and anglers find a way to get outside and get involved for the first National Conservation Week, August 12 - 18. These efforts might be clearing trails, stream cleanups, planting trees, assisting with animal counts, habitat improvements, or fish sampling. And there are dozens more ways.

 

Volunteers are encouraged to check their state’s fish and wildlife agency’s website for local opportunities. Many states have sections outlining areas where they need help.

 

“It’s easier than you think,” said Luttrell. “Kentucky, for example, even created an app for tracking turkey numbers this year. Simply by getting out and helping track the population count you’re participating in the system. Our team is doing a stream cleanup. We can all find a little way to help make a big impact overall.”