Wildlife Conservation

Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience

Thanks to the Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience (YWCE) endowment from Larry and Brenda Potterfield and Midway USA, the Outdoor Adventures Program will have 400 secondary students attend the Dallas Safari Club’s annual convention held each January.

The YWCE initiative is designed to educate youth on the importance of wildlife conservation and the role of hunters, outfitters, conservation groups and local governments in the sustained use of wildlife around the world.

North American Model of Wildlife Conservation Curriculum

Beginning in the late 1800s, Teddy Roosevelt, John Muir, Gifford Pinchot and other conservationist realized they needed to establish limits to protect rapidly disappearing wildlife, and assume responsibility for managing wild lands. Their efforts are the foundation of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, the only one of its kind in the world. The model’s two basic principles include: fish and wildlife belong to all North American citizens, and the fish and wildlife must be managed so they can be sustained forever.

Shane Mahoney, conservation biologist, author and world renowned speaker, narrates the DVD,”Opportunity for All”. Shane wants American high school students to know,”Of all the intellectual contributions a young American nation gave to the world, none will prove more important to the future of mankind, nor more significant to the preservation of wild nature, than that of conservation. The sustainable use principle upon which the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation is based, endures as a signal achievement of this country.”

There are three to four detailed daily lesson plans to share “Opportunity for All” in four different social studies disciplines (U.S. History, Government, Geography and Economics). A brief overview of each lesson is provided below. The lessons plans are designed for depth of discussion, creative presentation and flexibility to allow for teacher expression. Each lesson includes the specific course TEKS alignment, student objectives, materials and resources needed detailed learning experience, daily writing applications, vocabulary specific, assessments, modifications and enrichments. Free downloads for PowerPoint presentations are available for several lessons.

Every student should be given the opportunity to hear how the great conservation forefathers of the United States established a model that protects and enriches the fish, wildlife and wild lands we all enjoy today.

The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation free instructor resource packet includes:

  • One DVD “Opportunity for All” to be shared between the four social studies courses.
  • Detailed daily lesson plans for all four social studies courses.
  • An evaluation and follow-up opportunity for the curriculum’s authors for constructive feedback.

The Outdoor Tomorrow Foundation provided the financial commitment to bring the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation to every high school in Texas free of charge. Please share our passion of the great outdoors with your students.

For a free copy of the instructor resource packet, please contact:
Email: Scot McClure

Opportunity for All DVDs

Please consider a thorough review of the lesson plans and “Opportunity for All” DVD and allow one or more content specific instructor to explore The North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.

  • U.S. History:  Conservation or Preservation? Saving the United States Landscape, The conservation movement with Data Based Questions.
  • Government:  The Evolution of Democracy, The Birth of Activism, The Role of Hunters and Environmentalists.
  • Geography:  Introduction to the National Parks System, Class Research and Presentation on the National Parks System.
  • Economics:  Conservation and its Effects on the Texas Economy, Conservation and its Effects on the United States Economy
Education