Why It Matters: America’s conservation legacy depends on ensuring the next generation understands the importance of responsible natural resource management. As young people become increasingly disconnected from the outdoors, expanding conservation literacy is essential to building public support for science-based conservation and protecting our shared outdoor traditions.
Highlights:
- Over the past couple of years, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) has worked in Southern states, such as Georgia, Louisiana, and Tennessee, to expand hunter education into the schools.
- CSF has also supported the creation and funding of the South Carolina Conservation Education Fund, which will be used for natural resource conservation education classes and programs that will emphasize the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, teach the importance of hunting and fishing, and help recruit the next generation of sportsmen and women needed to sustain the conservation funding needed to support South Carolina’s outdoor traditions.
- Youth hunting, fishing, and outdoor education programs provide hands-on opportunities to connect young people with conservation.
- America’s conservation success story is the result of generations of hunters, anglers, and policymakers working together to restore and conserve wildlife populationsand habitat and establish sustainable funding mechanisms. Ensuring the continuation of this legacy requires more than maintaining effective policies; it requires a public that understands why conservation matters.
Conservation literacy goes beyond building an appreciation for nature. It includes understanding how wildlife populations are managed, how habitats are conserved, and how public policies affect natural resources. However, increased screen time, changing lifestyles, and fewer opportunities for outdoor recreation have left many young people disconnected from the outdoors. Fewer kids are growing up in rural environments that offer an opportunity for hands-on learning, which is a contributing factor to the decrease in hunting and fishing license sales.
Hands-on experiences are among the most effective ways to learn. Youth hunting and fishing opportunities, outdoor education programs, habitat restoration projects, and wildlife observation introduce young people to conservation principles while fostering an appreciation for the outdoors. These experiences also provide opportunities to explain the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation and the contributions hunters and anglers make through license purchases and excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, and archery equipment.
Schools, state fish and wildlife agencies, conservation organizations, and outdoor industry partners all can play a role in turning the tide. Incorporating age-appropriate conservation education into classrooms and expanding hands-on outdoor opportunities can help cultivate informed citizens and future conservation advocates. Importantly, these efforts should reach beyond young people who already hunt and fish. Wildlife and natural resources benefit everyone, making conservation literacy an opportunity to build broader public understanding and support for responsible resource management.
CSF recognizes that engaging the next generation is critical to the future of conservation. Through our work in expanding hunter education to the schools and replicating South Carolina’s Conservation Education Fund in other states, CSF advances policies and opportunities that help connect young people with the outdoors and protect outdoor traditions for future generations.
Now is the time for policymakers to support age-appropriate conservation education. Wildlife agencies and conservation partners should continue investing in mentorship, youth programs, and hands-on learning opportunities that introduce new audiences to conservation. America’s conservation legacy was built by generations who understood the value of its natural resources. By working together to educate, connect, engage, and inspire young people, we can ensure the next generation is prepared not only to appreciate that legacy but to also carry it forward.