When the leaves around the country begin to change colors and the air becomes crisp, millions of men and women around the United States will put on their hunting gear and head into the woods. The tradition of hunting has been handed down through generations of sportsmen. For years, the population of many species was declining due to loss of habitat and other factors. There were no existing organizations to help conservation efforts, and to establish a National policy to protect the wildlife. This changed in the 1900’s and a number of wildlife conservation organizations were established. To protect the wildlife, sportsmen banded together to conserve prime wildlife acreage and to study reasons for the declines. Some organizations protect a variety of wildlife, and others were established to protect specific species.

Continue reading to learn a little bit more about 3 organizations that are working to support conservation and America’s hunting tradition.

National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) – The NWTF, which was established in 1973, is a non-profit organization that focuses on conservation and education. From the start, this organization’s goal has been aimed at preserving our national heritage of hunting, but NWTF has also worked for years in conserving the wild turkey population.

With over 250,000 volunteers and members and with the support of corporate and agency partners, the NWTF has made significant strides in managing and restoring the turkey population in North America.

The NWTF also uses its resources to help teach men, women and children with disabilities in North America valuable skills that can be used outdoors.

Quick Facts about NWTF

• Founding chief executive Tom Rodgers spent $440 of his own money to get the NWTF up and running.
• Headquarters is located in Edgefield, SC.
• Since its founding, the NWTF has spent over $412 million to help conserve over 17 million acres of habitat, an area larger than West Virginia.

Wildlife Forever – For more than 25 years Wildlife Forever has dedicated its efforts to help sustain healthy, thriving populations of various kinds of wildlife and fish. This organization has been a leader in conserving a large array of different animal species across the United States.

Wildlife Forever’s conservation efforts fall into 4 unique categories:

• Fish and Wildlife – Countless different species of fish have been brought back to places where they once thrived because of Wildlife Forever’s work.
• Habitat – One of the greatest challenges facing both wildlife and fish is the loss of the area in which they live. With the help of Wildlife Forever, millions of acres of habitat and wetlands have been conserved in 34 states.
• Research – Each and every project that Wildlife Forever takes part in is based on the knowledge and help of biologists. There are many complexities involved in understanding fish and wildlife, and Wildlife Forever aims to learn as much as they can in order to better educate others and preserve the great outdoors.
• Education – Wildlife Forever does a great job of educating men, women and particularly children about invasive species and the devastation that these species can bring about.

Ducks Unlimited – Ducks Unlimited leads the way in waterfowl and wetlands conservation, and has been doing so since it was founded way back in 1937, when the Dust Bowl ravaged North America.

Since that time, DU has become the world’s largest private wetlands and waterfowl conservation organization, conserving land primarily throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Some of the ways DU is Conserving:

• Acquiring land – DU works to conserve land to assist wildlife. More than 13,000,000 acres have been conserved in North America as of January 1, 2013.
• Replanting forests – DU has reforested more than 178,000 acres in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley to provide wintering habitat for ducks.
• Restoring grasslands – These efforts improve bird nest success rates.
• Conservation easements – These are created to protect habitats forever through landowner agreements.
• Geographic information systems – This technology enables DU to track the results of their efforts.

Summary

America Remembers salutes and supports these great organizations, and appreciates their dedication to conserving wildlife and wildlife habitats.

If you are a sportsman, hunter, or a lover of the outdoors, have a look at the commemorative firearms in our catalog dedicated to conservation and hunting. Owning one of these handsome decorated firearms is a terrific way to show your family and friends the importance of conservation every time they visit your home, and to support these outstanding organizations.