AUSTIN, Texas — Surviving in the wild was the focus of an all-new ADWA Youth Safari Camp, sponsored by the American Deer & Wildlife Alliance, and the event provided a hands-on outdoor education, on such wilderness survival skills as shelter-building, fire-starting, shooting and setting snares.
Held at the Texas Hidden Springs Ranch in Seguin, Texas, the ADWA Youth Safari Camp caters to young sportsmen (ages 8 to 15) and was the first in a series of hands-on youth events to feature fun, educational outdoor experiences. ADWA volunteers and instructors from Seguin Outdoor Learning Center worked with the children on pitching tents and building impromptu shelters in the wild, starting a camp fire, and ways to find food in the wild. They also enjoyed target practice with high-quality air rifles by Gamo.
“We are very excited to offer this fun series of outdoor seminars for children,” says ADWA President John Meng. “While there are millions of sportsmen and women in America today, our numbers are declining rapidly so it is essential that we encourage our youth to become more involved and knowledgeable about wildlife, habitat management and the outdoors in general.”
The camp was located on an 800-acre ranch near Seguin, Texas, and features a safari-styled tented campsite where attendees can take part in outdoor education. The camp tent and materials were donated by Montana Canvas of Belgrade, Mont., and McCoy’s Building Supply of New Braunfels, Texas, both of which have a strong commitment to helping our nation’s youth learn about the outdoors.
“Some might say the ‘highlight’ of the day was when a few of the campers decided to put their newly learned survival skills to the test,” says Meng. “One boy caught a scorpion, built his own fire, roasted it and ate it. While this might have come as a shock to some, there’s no question the boy put his new-found skills to use.”
The American Deer & Wildlife Alliance is a non-profit organization working to promote the deer and wildlife industry and to preserve our American outdoor traditions. As a part of its public education efforts, ADWA produces Points Journal, a full-color magazine covering industry news, wildlife management issues, products and services; Spikes Magazine, a quarterly youth publication distributed to summer camps and public libraries across the country; and the www.iHuntAmerica.com website, a comprehensive search engine for hunting ranches, game preserves and outfitters. ADWA also sponsors Keith Warren’s Deer & Wildlife Stories, a nationally broadcast television program on the Pursuit Channel, and the Outdoor Patriot, a monthly podcast (www.OutdoorPatriot.com) which features commentary and industry guests.
To learn more about the ADWA or for information on membership and hosting your own youth event, visit www.deerwildlifealliance.org or call 877.331.8607. To become an ADWA fan on Facebook, go to www.facebook.com/pages/American-Deer-Wildlife-Alliance.
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, the American Deer & Wildlife Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to the growth of the deer and wildlife industry, and to help educate consumers and the youth on the conservation issues which effect deer and wildlife as well as the industry. For more information on the American Deer & Wildlife Alliance, call 877.331.8607 or visit www.deerwildlifealliance.org.
