Page 16 - Oklahoma Station Chapter SCI Dec 2022 Safari Trails

ODWC Contributions – Since the foundation of the CONSERVATION EDUCATION SCHOLARHIP ‐ AMERICAN
Oklahoma Station Chapter of SCI, over $ 300,000 has been WILDERNESS LEADERSHIP SCHOOL ‐ Each year, our Chapter
funded for various Wildlife Department programs either and the Okla. Dept. of Wildlife Conservation sponsor two
through direct funding or purchase of equipment for ODWC Oklahoma educators, and some years 3, for an 8‐day
use. experience at SCI’s Granite Ranch near Jackson, Wyoming,
in fields of wildlife ecology, firearm safety and shooting
Education sports, camping, white‐water rafting, stream ecology,
natural resource management with a base knowledge from
OSU SHOTGUN CLUB – OSU Gun Club Representing which to evaluate conservation efforts. They bring this
Oklahoma State University, is dedicated to practicing and training back to their classrooms to educate thousands of
teaching gun safety while also participating in recreational Oklahoma youth on the value of hunting as a wildlife
shooting. We participate in competitions with other management tool. Outdoor skills are also learned which
universities all over the United States, including but not include wildlife conservation, habitat management and
limited to Wyoming, Colorado, Texas, Kansas, and others. additional outdoor sports skills are taught and leaned
OSCSCI worked with the gun club to fund their new Trailer including survival and all safety features of the shooting
and cargo container for on‐site storage for all equipment as sports and other activities such as camping, hiking, fishing,
well as Liberty Safe for storing shotguns used by club wildlife and plant identification etc.
members.
STEP PROGRAM – Okla. Dept of Wildlife Conservation’s
SIGNIFICANT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR YOUTH EDUCATION Shotgun Training Education Program (“STEP”) – OSCSCI
& OUTDOOR PROGRAMS – Archery in the Schools program supported this program by originally purchasing a custom
($ 19,500), Last Frontier Council ‐ Boy Scouts of America; built 26‐foot long gooseneck equipment trailer. OSC
Eddy Eagle Gun Safety program; Make a Wish Foundation, purchased two additional trailers. These trailers carry the
Youth Hunter Education Challenge, & the 4H Youth Shooting program’s portable trap machines, firearms, ammunition,
Team. Further provided initial funding to the ODWC to safety and gun maintenance equipment. In the past 10
facilitate The Oklahoma Scholastic Shooting Programs and years, 100,000 persons in the state of Oklahoma (65% are
introduction in the schools of the Explore Bow Hunting youth under the age of 18) have participated in STEP,
Program leaning the importance of hunting as a conservation and
management tool and improving their shooting skills to
OKLAHOMA CITY GUN CLUB YOUTH SHOOTING AREA –
ensure the humane harvesting of wildlife.
Helped fund the structures needed to create a separate
youth shooting area and the gun club with a $1500.00 OPERATION GAME THIEF TRAILER – Okla. Dept of Wildlife
donation Conservation’s Operation Game Thief (“OGT”) – OSC‐
SCI supported this program by supplying funding in excess
OKLAHOMA DEPT OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COLORING
of $28,500. The OGT is a program of the Oklahoma
BOOKS ‐ We purchased 65,000 wildlife conservation
Department of Wildlife Conservation designed specifically
coloring books for school children.
to stop illegal killing of the fish and game which belong to
CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION ‐An annual youth essay YOU, whether you’re a sportsman or not. It’s a big problem
writing contest that focuses on America’s hunting heritage with no simple solution. Help from the public sportsmen,
sponsored through the Okla. Dept of Wildlife Conservation. makes a difference. .
Two students in the 11‐14 age category win scholarships to One day before the opening of a recent deer season, two
attend a weeklong conservation program. One boy and one men killed four whitetail bucks. Late one summer night,
girl, 15‐17, each win a guided pronghorn antelope hunt and three men steered their boat across a state reservoir,
presentation of their mounts at the Annual OSC Awards stopped at their illegal net site and hauled in a load of
Banquet & Charity Fundraiser. Norm Strung Youth Writing striped bass and other open‐water fish they could sell for $1
Contest – all category winners are put in for the National a pound on the commercial market. .
award years. Our Oklahoma kids win this VERY regularly!