Photo by Steve Gray
St. Paul, Minn. -(Ammoland.com)- Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever have named two new recruits to the organization’s National Youth Leadership Council – an advisory board of 20 young people from around the country, ages 12 – 18, who represent the hunting and conservation community for their age group.
The new faces of the National Youth Leadership Council, Hunter Swanson (NE) and Trent Forster (GA), will join their existing colleagues in advocating for youth-oriented outdoor programs and conservation initiatives nationwide.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC) has worked on such important issues as bringing attention to the Federal Farm Bill and its significance to wildlife habitat conservation.
In fact, members of the group met with U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives during the last Farm Bill debate to voice their generation’s concerns for conservation.
They have also helped pass state legislation to reduce age restrictive barriers to introduce young people to hunting.
“For 10 years, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have helped develop young conservation leaders across the country. These young people are our hope for the future and continued support for habitat, land stewardship and our hunting heritage. I couldn’t be more proud of what they are doing in their communities and on the national scene,” said Cheryl Riley, vice president of outreach and education for Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever.
NYLC Recruits:
Hunter Swanson – A 16 year-old from Arapahoe, Nebraska, Swanson was nominated to the NYLC by his local committee, the Republican Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever.
Involved in a variety of clubs, sports and church groups in his local community, Swanson enjoys spending free time pursuing his love for the outdoors through hunting, fishing and completing various conservation projects.
“When asked why he wanted to join the National Youth Leadership Council, Hunter replied, ‘because I enjoy spending so much time outdoors and I want to share that enjoyment with others,’” said Rich Wissink, director of education and outreach for Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever. “His passion for conservation is contagious and we’re excited to have him join our youth team.”
Trent Forster – Nominated to the NYLC from multiple chapters of Quail Forever in in his local region, Forster is a 12 year-old conservation advocate who hails from Social Circle, Georgia.
In school, he is active in band and theater, but his true passion lies in the fields and woods of central Georgia as an avid deer hunter and a soon-to-be alligator hunter.
“Trent is particularly mature for his age and has a sincere interest in conservation of wild places and the critters that live there,” stated Cheryl Riley. “He joins the NYLC at our minimum age requirement and we look forward to helping him foster a conservation ethic for many years to come.”
About Pheasants Forever:
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 149,000 members and 720 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent, the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $708 million on 517,000 habitat projects benefiting 15.8 million acres nationwide.