ODWC and Safari Club honor student essay contest winners; four students earn hunts and trips

The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation and the Oklahoma Station Chapter of Safari Club International presented awards to four winners of the chapter’s essay contest, continuing a partnership that staff said began in 1991.

Lance Meek, the department’s education supervisor, described the program as an effort to introduce young people to hunting and outdoor skills; winners receive either a guided hunt in Texas or attendance at an outdoor camp, department staff said. Meek said teachers play a central role by making the essay contest a classroom assignment and that the program sends “hundreds of essays a year.”

Sam Munholland of the Oklahoma Station Chapter told commissioners the chapter started the program in 1991 and has worked with the department for two decades on the effort; he listed recent winners and said the chapter raises banquet funds to support the awards.

This year’s winners included junior division winners Tegan Brownlee and Berkeley (Berkeley/Berkeley Snow spelled in transcript) Snow, and senior division winners Cooper Van Orsdahl and Kaylee Baker, the chapter said. The students and ag teachers from Depew attended the meeting for the presentation and a group photograph with commissioners.

Why it matters: Department and chapter staff framed the program as a recruitment and retention tool that exposes young people to hunting, outdoor skills and resource stewardship; the department described it as aligned with R3 goals.

Background: Staff said the program has run for decades with the chapter’s banquet fundraising underwriting the trips and camps. The department leaned on regional education staff and teachers to identify and bring winners to the presentation.

Looking ahead: Presenters encouraged continued teacher involvement and said the department will keep the partnership and classroom contest format in place.