Educational Projects Geared Toward Environmental Protection

Project YEE-HAW: (Youth Ecological Education Helping Animals and Wildlife)

These past few years have been catastrophic fire years for our local habitat areas. This in turn has negatively impacted our local wildlife and has left a visual scar as a reminder. NNSCI launched Project YEE-HAW in 2017 to involve our community and our youth to help in reseeding efforts and education of youth about wildfire danger and the importance of wildlife habitat. By having individuals and local businesses helping fund this project and partnering with local agencies, we are achieving beneficial results to help our entire ecosystem and give our community a visual example of not only how we can protect, but also how we can improve our environment for all to enjoy.

In 2017, we partnered with NDOW and the Nevada Land Trust to purchase seed and put boots on the ground in a successful effort to reseed 140 acres in Washoe County, Nevada. We give a special thank you to NDOW, Nevada Land Trust, Sparks Rotary and the University of Nevada Cast and Blast Club for volunteering to help with these seeding efforts!

Northern Nevada SCI Mobile Wildlife Education Center

We have had resounding success with the NNSCI Mobile Wildlife Education Center and our sponsors have been a huge part of that success. Having these amazing contributors has really set the tone for this program. We would like to give a special thank you to Sitka, Cabela’s, and the Wild Sheep Foundation for going above and beyond to ensure when this trailer goes down the road; it is an event! From the head-turning wrap by Sitka to the educational material from Cabela’s and Wild Sheep Foundation we are able to keep the trailer on the road from location to location. Our sponsors have made the difference and we are thankful to all of them.

Along with launching the Mobile Education Center, we also launched a video program that we run in the trailer as students and the general public tour through. While the premise is simple, the results have been overwhelming. We asked hunters of all walks of life to record a brief video and introduce themselves. At the end of each clip, the person states, “I am a hunter. I am conservation.” From average hunters to celebrities, the videos have made a solid impact. One person in particular that made a video for us has made a huge impact; Jimmy Herman is an avid hunter and fiddle player with Carrie Underwood. Showing a touring musician combining faith, fitness and the outdoors in a cinematic backdrop has caught the attention of all the visitors. The videos give each person who visits a variety of people from all walks of life to relate to. For many, this is the first time they get an opportunity to see hunters as individual people. Combining that connection with the message that hunting is conservation has open the eyes.

While it is no secret that the heritage of hunting has its opposition, we have openly welcomed the opportunity to discuss the objections and misconceptions of the lifestyle we are so passionate about. While some are not open to the facts, many have become more enlightened about hunting and conservation through these efforts. Creating awareness and giving people information is opening doors for NNSCI, our sponsors and all of those that share our lifestyle. As kids travel through the Mobile Education Center, they are given a packet that contains trivia, a word search, crossword puzzles, facts, coloring pages, reading material and a scavenger hunt for the Reno Cabela’s. The key is that once we load up the trailer and leave, they can continue to learn and explore. We even provide them with an opportunity to take family members to a location to share what they have learned with others via an outdoor adventure series.

Two of the biggest wins for this program are showing the public who hunters are and how they impact their communities. We celebrate that hunters come from a variety of backgrounds and work in a variety of industries. By disrupting the stereotype, we create awareness. We also have started to showcase not only what we do for wildlife and habitat, but how we improve open spaces for our communities as well.

If you would like to make a donation please visit our “Sponsors & Sponsorship Opportunities” page or to book the Mobile Education Center to be at an event or your school, please contact Mike Aiazzi at [email protected] or our executive board at [email protected]