LOCK HAVEN — The Wildlife Leadership Academy allows high school-age students to discover a love for being conservation leaders. They do this through a variety of different programs for students with a variety of interests.
The Wildlife Leadership Academy was founded in 2002 and took some of its inspiration from Texas Bridgates. However, they have adapted their training and program to cater to Pennsylvania’s nature and wildlife. In 2006 it was called Pennsylvania Wildlife Adventures and in 2009 it became the Wildlife Leadership Academy.
The Wildlife Conservation Academy has three programs that students can choose from.
Their Conservation Advocate Training or their Stepping Stones program is an introduction to students just learning about conservation, outdoor recreation and wildlife/fisheries and biology. This program only consists of three days of training. This year it will be from Friday, May 2, to Sunday, May 4.
“Three days where we use fly fishing and, in the future, other recreational activities as a springboard to connect to conservation,” Sara Mueller, the Executive Director of the Wildlife Leadership Academy said.
Along with receiving a basic knowledge of wildlife students will also learn a variety of things regarding habitat management and enriching the environment. Students will leave the Conservation Advocate Training with a certificate that designates the student as a Conservation Advocate and an official document that acknowledges that the student spent time on community outreach.
Students are able to start their outreach right away, because when they get picked up by their parents they present it to them. Which allows them to practice the community outreach they will continue to do.
“We have five categories of outreach. We have Education, Service, Outdoor Mentorship, Creative Arts and Media Engagement and really, anything that they’re doing above and beyond in their life counts as outreach,” Mueller explained.
“So it can’t be for school credit and it can’t be their job, but in places where they’re going above and beyond, it could be taking a friend to a state park and explaining the importance of parks and exploring together in safe ways.”
Students must be aged 14 to 16 to apply to the program and must pay $150 in tuition.
The Conservation Ambassador program focuses on students attending field school and taking a deeper look at the management of wildlife species of their choosing and their habitats.
“Our Conservation Ambassador training is focused on kind of folks who have a passion and may want to explore how conservation might fit into their career,” Mueller said. “Whether that’s becoming a biologist, a conservation officer, a researcher or if they’re interested in computer science or engineering,”
Depending on what species students want to focus on the dates and structure of their program may differ.
- White-Tailed Deer (Tuesday, June 17—Saturday, June 21)
- Bass and Susquehanna River Watershed (Tuesday, June 24—Saturday, June 28)
- Brook Trout (Tuesday, July 8—Saturday, July 12)
- Wild Turkey (Tuesday, July 15—Saturday, July 19)
- Black Bears (Tuesday, July 22— Saturday, 26)
Throughout their time with each of these species, students learn from experts on the species’ habitats, plants and parts of the environment that are important to the species. Part of each of these programs have their own specific activities. For example, when studying wild turkeys, students learn to call them and when working with trout students will dissect them to learn more about them.
This program allows students to complete community outreach. The Wildlife Leadership Academy’s Director of Outreach and Alumni Engagement helps these students plan the best way to showcase the skills they learned and educate their community.
To attend Conservation Ambassador Training, students must be between 14 and 17 years old and tuition is $600.
After completing Conservation Ambassador Training students have the option to return the following summer for Advanced Conservation Ambassador Training. Through their alumni network, the Wildlife Leadership Academy helps alumni discover how to continue their education, work on community projects and start their early professional careers.
The Wildlife Leadership Academy prioritizes putting their students’ needs first. On their website when applying there, you can ask for support. This can help students in a variety of ways, letting them apply for scholarships and applying to get transportation to the Wildlife Leadership Academy.
To apply to one of their programs you can visit their website at wildlifeleadershipacademy.org. On their website, you can also nominate a student you think would enjoy and benefit from the program.
