LITTLE ROCK, AR – On Saturday, July 18, the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center (Nature Center) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) hosted outdoor recreation activities for approximately 150 students participating in the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Conclave and Sigma Beta Club Foundation gatherings in Little Rock. The activities provided students with guided outdoor recreational activities and the opportunity to learn about the Service and wildlife conservation.
Sigma Betas learned some fundamentals of archery, participated in a basic fishing clinic, and enjoyed a tour and educational animal hunt inside the nature center. The activities were intended to help Sigma Betas (who range in age from 8 to 18) learn about what public lands have to offer and the benefits of being outdoors, as well as possible careers in the field of wildlife conservation.
“If we are to protect our natural places and the wildlife they support into the future, we must ensure we prepare and inspire the next generation of wildlife conservation stewards,” said the Service’s National Conservation Training Center Director Jay Slack. “By collaborating with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission on today’s event, and through our long-term partnership with Phi Beta Sigma and the Sigma Beta Club, we are finding new ways to reach out to kids with a positive and enduring learning experience that will spark their imaginations and perhaps interest them in future careers in conservation.”
The youth outing was made possible by the support of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and coordinated to align with the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Conclave theme, “I Am My Brother’s Keeper.”
“Technology, structured schedules, lack of outdoor mentors and conflict of user interest are all challenges in encouraging people to spend time outdoors,” said Maurice Jackson, Education Specialist with the Nature Center. “Long-term partnerships with groups such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Phi Beta Sigma, and the Sigma Beta Club will ensure a foundation of conservation supporters and develop a healthy natural resource community.”
Additional information about youth programming at the Nature Center can be found at http://www.centralarkansasnaturecenter.com/. For information about Service youth programs and activities log onto http://www.fws.gov/letsgooutside.
