Photos courtesy of Chico La Barbera
Organized by an SCI and Sable Life Member and partially funded by Badgerland, Southeastern Wisconsin Bowhunters and the Wisconsin Chapters of SCI, the Midwest Outdoor Heritage Education Expo hosted 3,263 students, teachers, and chaperones from 49 schools and six homeschool groups, May 16-17, 2019.
One of the Top 3 free student outdoor skills field trips in the world, MOHEE has reached 16,543 students, teachers and chaperones with shooting sports and other activities from 2014 through 2019, thanks to support from these three SCI chapters.
Strategically positioned near Madison, Wisconsin, at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ MacKenzie Environmental Education Center, the youth expo launched six years ago with SCI funding and 1,420 students, teachers and chaperones from 24 schools. They discovered this wonderful DNR facility with its woods, prairies, live wildlife area with wolves, bison and 20 other species, plus fire tower, pond, and other amenities.
SCI members appreciate the friendly, dedicated MacKenzie staff and DNR leadership. Many conservation leaders also have become familiar with the property and its rich heritage, thanks to the event’s nonprofit owner, the Outdoor Heritage Education Center, whose founder and lead volunteer is a Life Member who has also helped at AWLS.
He is collaborating with DNR’s R3 leader Keith Warnke to increase follow-up efforts that encourage families and teachers to take the next step in the outdoor lifestyle adoption model. Moving toward recruiting new hunters and anglers, they help newcomers tap into mentored opportunities, safety classes, Learn to Hunt for Food programs and other resources that lead to buying hunting and fishing licenses.
Media coverage has helped the effort, with major features in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, PBS Milwaukee, CBS and NBC network affiliates in Madison, PBS and other media.
Outdoor Celebrity and SCI member Dan Small’ returned with his TV crew. They interviewed SCI members and talked to Warnke about the value of MOHEE to R3 recruitment, retention and reactivation efforts in Wisconsin for an “Outdoor Wisconsin” MOHEE segment. Dan and his crew will let us know when the show is scheduled to air.
SCI members and Sables are invited to attend the next MOHEE, May 20-21, 2020.
Photos courtesy of Chico La Barbera