Texas Brigades summer camp registration ushers in 20 years of wildlife conservation education


By Steve Byrns s-byrns@tamu.edu 325-653-4576

Contacts
Dr. Dale Rollins, 325-653-4576, d-rollins@tamu.edu
Helen Holdsworth, 210-332-3560, hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org






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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