First quarter grant applications were presented and voted on at the February 28, 2023 AZSFWC Board meeting. Funding for the grants is available through sales of our special Conserving Wildlife license plate. More information about the license plate and how you can obtain one can be found HERE.
Six grants were approved and included the following:
$11,000 was awarded to AZ Outdoor Adventures for their Youth Camps in 2023. These camps introduce youth to and fosters a lifelong connection with nature, exposing them to the peace and quiet of the outdoors. Campers experience tent camps and participate in a variety of outdoor activities. Campfire talks and “teachable moments” while hiking and fishing provide opportunities for the youth to connect with knowledgeable and caring adults who model stewardship and impart information about the natural environment. The campers learn respect for themselves, others and the environment; how to make constructive life choices; and responsibility and cooperation with their families and authority figures. Additional funding is provided by numerous foundations, grants, wildlife organizations, businesses and indidviduals.
$7,674 was awarded to AZ Wildlife Federation for their Bridges to BOW program. The program seeks to increase opportunities for young, diverse, under-represented women to engage in outdoor recreation, learn new skills, and gain confidence in the outdoors through the Becoming an Outdoors Woman program.
$10,000 was awarded to AZ Antelope Foundation for a Pronghorn Translocation project. The project aims to place radio collars on recently transplanted pronghorn antelope to monitor use of treated habitat to guide future habitat work. Additional funding provided by the AZ Antelope Foundation and AZ Game & Fish Department.
$6,000 was awarded to Arizona Council of Trout Unlimited to support their 2022-2023 Trout in the Classroom education program (TIC). TIC is a well-established environmental education program created and conducted throughout the US for trout and salmon and is in more than 4, 000 classrooms. Students in grades 4 – 12 are involved in hands on experiences to:
▪ raise trout from eggs to fry
▪ monitor tank water quality
▪ engage in stream habitat study
▪ learn to appreciate water resources
▪ begin to foster a conservation ethic
▪ grow to understand ecosystems
Funding will not only support continuation of the program in existing schools in Arizona, but will also provide expansion to new schools. Partners include Arizona Game and Fish Department the Trout Unlimited Council and Chapters of Arizona.
$7,050 was awarded to the AZ Chapter of the Wild Turkey Federation for their annual Marvin Robbins 2023 Youth Turkey Camps. These family oriented camps introduce youth turkey hunters and their families to spring turkey hunting. Camps include meals, instruction in safe firearms handling, patterning shotguns, ethics, species biology, turkey behavior and hunting techniques, the role of conservation organizations in funding wildlife and habitat conservation, and the North American Model of Conservation. Additional partners include Youth Outdoors Unlimited, AZ Elk Society, Phoenix Varmint Callers, OE4A, US Forest Service and the AZ Game & Fish Department. Additional funding and in-kind donations provided AZ State Chapter NWTF, AZ Elk Society, W Bar S Enterprises.
$3,000 was awarded to Tucson Audubon for continuation of their “Open Pipes are Death Traps” habitat project. Open pipes are relatively commo in rural and working lands. However, they are a hazard on the landscape and cause death to birds and other wildlife. The project includes education, outreach, and active removal or modification of pipes to eliminate the hazard. Funding partners include Tucson Audubon.