Meet Teresa, a champion who makes SCIF’s conservation efforts possible. Teresa’s love for animals and wildlife runs deep. She managed her own animal shelter and hospital for many years and still receives calls for special treatments on animals in need. She and her husband, Mark, are patrons of the Pangolin Project at the Zambeze Delta in Mozambique. Years ago, Teresa fell from a tree stand, but that didn’t dampen her spirit for hunting. After undergoing numerous surgeries, her back is now reinforced with metal, but she remains an avid and passionate hunter and conservationist.
We asked Teresa some questions about her background and involvement with SCIF, and here are her answers:
Who introduced you to hunting or was it a path of self-discovery?
My Brother Bill introduced me to hunting and fishing. We were a family of 3 girls and one boy, So I was Bill’s “little brother”. As I got older Bill took me duck hunting. I did not shoot, I just went to watch him set the decoys and call in the birds.
Why do you hunt?
I like the comradery. I met my husband when I was mating on a charter boat – he was captain on the boat berthed next to mine. He taught me how to duck and quail hunt and we have passed that on to our son and his many friends. I wish the public in general understood how hunting and fishing teaches responsibility and stewardship. SCI provides that insight on a large scale
What does the term hunter/conservationist mean to you?
Once you understand conservationist and what effect wildlife has on the landscape you understand that hunting is one of the most powerful tools in keeping wildlife in balance and providing worth to the animal so that people value them and their habitat.
How did you get involved with SCIF? What keeps you involved?
I got my husband started on bow hunting. Once we began to travel for big game hunting we saw how valuable SCIF was to protecting and enhancing wildlife and their habitat. Hunters pour more money, time, and effort into conservation and reestablishing endangered animals than any other segment of the population. When you plant a food plot or a dove field you and feeding much more that the species you target.
What do you see as SCI/SCI F’s primary roles in the community at large?
Being a member & supporting SCIF and SCI is a way to make a bigger impact on hunting and conservation than we could do on our own. It has the added benefit of being exposed to like minded individuals and making new friends. It also provide important information and examples of conservation in action that are important to share with the non-hunting community.
When I bring up the idea of hunters giving back, what comes to mind?
Hunters can and do so much for their communities that the average person is unaware of. We donate meat to the hungry, our license money supports a host of efforts from science, habitat conservation and yes enforcement. We plant crops for wildlife and conserve property from development.
