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The Commission’s Wildlife Education Program is unique in that no other agency or institution in the state provides targeted wildlife education opportunities to all citizens, statewide. The program is essential to educating and informing the public on the importance of wildlife conservation and maintaining the management cycle that ensures the diversity and abundance of North Carolina’s public trust wildlife resources. Wildlife Education is a vital part of a cycle that depends on recruitment of hunters, anglers, wildlife viewers and conservationists—an ongoing strategy that generates funding for wildlife research for Commission biologists; tourist and out-door industry dollars for local economies; and wildlife-related recreational opportunities for today’s North Carolinians and future generations. Conservation Education activities involve:

• Education and outreach efforts designed to facilitate conservation of the state’s wildlife and wild places

• Public Information and Communication activities

• Production of Wildlife in North Carolina magazine and other special publications.

Here are some examples of our work:

Wildlife programs

Four NCWRC wildlife education centers conduct programming in wildlife conservation, management, and wildlife-related rec­ reation, teaching more than 20,000 students and teachers and 22,000 general public participants every year. Centers are located in the Mountains, Piedmont, Sandhills and Coastal Plain regions, and provide introductory programs in wildlife conservation, aquatic resources, and hunting heritage for all ages. Aquatic resources education is funded in part by the federal Aquatic Resources Education program administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, providing opportunities for public use, understanding and awareness of freshwater

fsheries and fshing in North Carolina. Centers provide all ages with the opportunity to engage in citizen-science wildlife projects, including the Box Turtle Initiative; NEST (Network for Endangered Sea Turtles); and Marine Mammal Stranding Network.

Our regional education specialists conduct educator workshops across the state. School teachers, teachers in training at colleges and universities, and youth leaders learn how to incorporate wildlife conservation into the classroom through Project WILD, CATCH and special-topic wildlife workshops. Regional specialists recently added a new wildlife curriculum for early childhood educators called Growing Up WILD.

Wildlife skills workshops

Our four Wildlife Education centers offer outdoor skills training for youth through onsite summer camps; Scout, 4-H, church and other youth group programs; and workshops for families. People of all ages come to the centers for wildlife-related skills in hunting and shooting sports, fshing, game and outdoor cooking, wildlife observation and nature photography. More than 200 Fish for Fun clinics are held each year across the state, reaching around 16,000 participants. Facilitated youth hunts and summer wildlife conservation camps immerse young people in intensive wildlife training that includes lifetime skills in recreation, safety, ethics, and the benefts of wildlife conservation. Becoming an Outdoors-Woman weekends for women and free clinics for adults provide similar lifetime skills training in fshing, hunting, game processing and cooking, shooting sports and wildlife watching.

Through outreach events, NCWRC education staff works with community partners to inform citizens of programs and opportunities to enjoy the state’s wildlife resources.

CONSERVATION into the future WITH EDUCATION

& AWARENESS

12 • North Carol ina Wi ldl i fe Resources Commi ss ion

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