DECEMBER 2015

Stewards of Our Outdoor Heritage

We owe a great debt to far-sighted individuals and institutions that have helped protect and preserve much of our wonderful outdoor heritage in this country.

A generation of Americans over a century ago, led by President Theodore Roosevelt and other progressives of that era, recognized abuses of our natural environment and pushed for federal and state reforms to set aside and protect public lands.  A second tide of initiatives, during the New Deal of the thirties, tied economic recovery to improvement of public lands through programs such as the Civilian Conservation Corps.  A third tide of environmental efforts came in the sixties and seventies resulting in federal acts and regulations to protect vital air, water, and land resources.   Laws and regulations aside, there just seems broadening public and private-sector concerns.  Educational institutions spend more time on environmental issues, and many business corporations are more involved than ever before through their sustainability programs.  Some of the emerging and critical changes, though, involve increasing public volunteerism.  

Most of those who hunt, fish, and otherwise enjoy our still bountiful natural resources seem to have a commitment to "paying back" or "paying forward" for these benefits.  This occurs in several forms.  One has been traditional financial support for organizations working to preserve and increase various wildlife resources.  Another is more recognition of the scarcity of certain environmental resources and conservation efforts to avoid abuse or waste of these resources.   

It's one challenge to pass laws or rules to protect natural resources; it’s another to administer and enforce these effectively.   There will always be those who violate laws for their selfish advantage and public disadvantage.  Rangers and enforcement officials can hardly patrol, even on a periodic basis, much of our over 100 million acres of federal and state public lands where blatant misconduct can occur.  Public reporting of serious offenses to wildlife and environmental officials is an important input toward their recognizing and stopping abuses.  More people carrying cellphones with cameras can mean that abuses are spotted earlier and evidence is available that allows officials to prevent wanton wildlife destruction. 

Environmental volunteerism goes well beyond financial contributions and public reporting of abuses.   Two good examples are the “Master Naturalists” programs in many states, such as Louisiana, and the widespread training programs of the “Leave No Trace” Center for Outdoor Education.  I’ll briefly describe the first of these initiatives now, and cover the concerns and activities of the Center for Outdoor Education in a future issue. 

I’ll start with the Louisiana Master Naturalist certification, because there could be a reader or two who might want to apply for this educational and volunteer opportunity for the next year.  The application deadline for 2016 is apparently the end of the calendar year 2015.  The Master Naturalist program in Louisiana has existing chapters in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport/Bossier City, and Acadiana.  There has been interest and discussion of expanding the number of chapters to other locations, such as Alexandria, Monroe, and Lake Charles.

Master Naturalist programs share some similarities to other training and volunteer programs, like Master Gardener and Master Beekeeper programs throughout our country.  Training topics for Master Naturalist programs are broader and include learning about ecology and ecosystem management as well as include subjects such as geology and soils, plants/trees, ornithology (birds), entomology (insects),   herpetology (reptiles), ichthyology (fish), mammals, and even aspects of archeology and astronomy.   Important for gaining this naturalist certification are field trips where applicants gain working knowledge beyond texts and training manuals.  Volunteer activities, such as helping to improve public wilderness areas and hiking trails, are often options for keeping Master Naturalist status.  

Those interested in possibly applying for Louisiana Master Naturalist certification should contact an existing chapter for an application form.  Chapter officers and contact information for applications can be found on the official Louisiana Master Naturalist website.  General requirements currently for certification include an application fee, 50 or so hours of basic class time and field training/experiences, 20 hours of volunteer service, eight hours of advanced training, and a passing score on the exit exam for the certification process.  Chapters involved in inducting applicants for 2016 certification should be able to provide potential applicants with some indication now concerning the precise meeting dates and locations for their 2016 certification process. 

Many of us have taken some small role as a steward of our natural outdoor heritage.  Others who pushed for environmental reforms, when most did not recognize the scope of the challenge, and those who volunteer now for outdoor programs and volunteer activities, such as Master Naturalists, deserve our special thanks and respect.

This blog includes articles on the outdoors and environment submitted by Steve Payne to The Piney Woods Journal. Appointed as a correspondent on the outdoors and environment for this monthly journal based in Dodson/Winnfield, Louisiana, his articles started appearing in May of 2015.