Archery was the most popular activity at the big Midwest Outdoor Heritage Education Expo, according to the post-event survey of participants. More than 1,435 students and 211 chaperones and teachers from schools in Milwaukee, Madison and other cities attended the inaugural event at the DNR's MacKenzie Center, centrally located in Poynette, Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Bowhunters Association and Poynette Bowhunters volunteers and DNR Enforcement Division Staff, along with Kicking Bear Foundation's Ray and Karen Howell, helped fourth-through-eighth graders shoot Mission Crossbows, Genesis NASP equipment and a variety of other gear. DNR's Jon King and Dan Schroeder helped lead the effort. SCI's Southeast Wisconsin Bowhunters Chapter provided initial funding to launch the event, and were joined by Wisconsin Friends of NRA, Badgerland and Wisconsin SCI Chapters, and dozens of other groups.

"Our students enjoyed trying the bows and tomahawks," said Scales Mound, Illinois educator Matt Wiederholt. "They talked on the bus ride home about how they want to shoot more throughout the year."

According to event organizer Mark LaBarbera, Founder of the charitable non-profit Outdoor Heritage Education Center, "When we brought together the 30-or-so partners and outdoor skills learning stations, we all agreed that our goal is help students sample these outdoor activities and then tell them where they can go for continued involvement." Each student and adult received take-home information about training programs and on-going mentoring opportunities, like NASP, Explore Bowhunting, JOAD, Wisconsin's Learn to Hunt initiative, etc.

He said, 100% of the participants and partners surveyed said they want to attend the next Midwest Outdoor Heritage Education Expo, May 14-15, 2015, and 100% agreed that MacKenzie Center should be the venue again, with its forests, prairies, pond, wolves, bison and other live animals, plus central location and easy access. For more information, contact LaBarbera at 520-730-9252 or mark@outdoorheritageeducationcenter.com.