Wyoming Wildlife May 2024 - 20

Hands-on training such as in archery is a key tool in outdoors education, especially for kids and those with little or no experience. (Photo by Emalee Smith/WGFD)
T
he inspiring moments we have as sportspeople and
wildlife enthusiasts are all part of our experience and
admiration for our wildlife resources. Great emotions
and memories are attached to the first time you hooked a fish
on a line - or even the first catch of the day. There's awe and
excitement in spotting a moose as it emerges from the willows,
or hearing the first meadowlark of spring singing its melodic
and hopeful tunes of spring.
Most hunters know the most memorable hunt and
most successful hunt are not always the same. The
skills, tools and education for these moments come
from training, experience and acquired knowledge.
Recognizing these moments and why they matter
is part of education.
Education comes in many forms. It can refer to
an act or process of acquiring knowledge or the
knowledge and training acquired by the process.
The classic definition of education through classes,
trainings, courses, certifications and degrees is commonly
recognized. Education in the form of collected
knowledge or experiences through which valuable
information can be compiled, applied and reapplied
also is widely understood. Lastly, education in the
culminating sense of the word is the acquired knowledge
utilized to implement action, experimentation
and to hone a skill, which can come through formal
20 | May 2024
and informal processes - in a classroom with a
screen or on top of a mountain you climbed with
your grandfather.
From classical training to field experiences, the
Wyoming Game and Fish Department knows firsthand
what formal and informal education looks like.
Education is a crucial component throughout the
department's strategic plan to inform and educate,
provide diverse fish and wildlife-based experiences
while inspiring and empowering people and keeping
the goal of a sustainable future for Wyoming's wildlife.
Education and outreach also is a job component
for most positions at Game and Fish. Employees are
encouraged to engage with the public, stakeholders
and their communities through events, public meetings
and schools. Lately, Game and Fish expanded its
education programs and reach in Wyoming.
In 2019, Game and Fish Director Brian Nesvik
took education to the next level for Wyoming's future
generations with the department's Inspire a Kid -
it's for Life campaign.
" It is our responsibility as citizens, parents and as
a wildlife agency to ensure kids know our hunting
heritage and continue conservation efforts to enjoy
and protect our wildlife resources, " Nesvik said.
Five years later, Inspire a Kid has become a recognized
brand on Game and Fish vehicles, events,
education courses and with partner organizations.
Weekly emails with activities, crafts and learning
resources are available. There are numerous ways
Game and Fish works to inspire kids in Wyoming,
and hopefully the kid in us all.

Wyoming Wildlife May 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wyoming Wildlife May 2024