Do you or your children crave the warmth and freedom of summer again just as fall’s cool breath begins to caress the earth? I know I do. I begin planning my next summer as soon as the first leaf falls. One event that I was able to help with last summer, that I would absolutely love to participate in again next summer is the Texas Brigade Camps. These camps are an amazing opportunity to teach the next generation proper habitat management techniques and good hunting ethics while giving them excellent leadership and public speaking skills. There are several different areas of game animals in which the camps specialize. I was blessed with the opportunity to serve as a “flock” leader during the maiden voyage of the Waterfowl Brigade. I was in charge of a group of five girls. It was truly amazing to see the transformation that they went through over the course of the five-day camp. One of my affectionately dubbed “ducklings” named Lindsey has summarized her experiences at camp and is allowing me to share them.
"Texas Brigade Camps
I arrived at the Texas Brigade Camp as an avid lover of hunting and the outdoors. In the five-day journey through the Brigades Camp, I became a more confident, well-spoken and informed cadet. I overcame my shyness and was stimulated by fabulous leaders to be more than I imagined I could be. That was just the beginning of my experience voyaging into the thought process of learning hands-on from skilled wildlife biologists and instructors from all over Texas. I had no idea of the potential I might achieve, but thanks to their nurturing and kind spirits I am now beginning to attain that potential. My week at camp equipped me with all the basic facts about conservation and land management. My background experience revolved around my hunting heritage with my family. The three main things I walked away with from my experience at Brigades are expanding my education, becoming more of a leader, and having fun while learning.
First, the Texas Brigades is all about wildlife conservation. I increased my education through the next five days of my life. This camp experience made me a more educated and improved hunter and broadened my hunting abilities. Learning plant ecology and how to age wildlife were some skills I have added to my former understanding. We studied plant ecology by having 'plants of the day' that we would examine. One of the days, we had a scavenger hunt to locate all of the plants we had researched. This helped me remember and identify them in their natural setting. The Brigade Camps are all about enhancing education through hands-on experiences to teach us to apply what we have learned in a class atmosphere. We reviewed habitat to determine the nutrition of an animal’s diet.
Secondly, my Brigades experience was about becoming a leader. I did this by following instructions and speaking up when necessary. Part of the leadership skills came from each cadet giving a power point presentation, marching and cadences, and from a variety of activities. Public speaking involves speaking loudly and making your voice clear for the audience to understand. I approach speaking opportunities with a new perspective now. The marching and cadences also helped to expand my communication skills. Not only did it help us get a voice and stay in sync together, but also it gave me confidence to call out the cadences in front of everyone. One leadership game included a trust walk where you had to let your group lead you in directions unknown to you because you were blindfolded. This increased my leadership skills by forcing me to trust the person in front of me to give me proper directions and then effectively communicate those instructions to the person behind me. Another activity was where the herd of six cadets grabbed onto the rope tied to a bungee. The purpose of this was to work as a team to gather the tin cans with our system while interacting with one another’s personalities.
Lastly, the Brigades experience was about having fun while learning. When we had different games and competitions it caused our learning to become more fun and exciting. This was a positive effect that helped me absorb the concepts because I was enjoying the games.
My desire to see good stewardship of the land and wildlife motivates me to share what I’ve learned with others. The things that I will remember from my Brigades experience are enhancing my education, becoming a leader, and having fun while learning. My experience at the Texas Brigades Camp has empowered me to set high goals and standards for myself and reach for my priorities. This was the highlight of my entire summer because of the tools and information with which I have been equipped. I hope to come back to the Brigades Camp and lead others next summer to pass along the great experience!"
These camps have a very effective and fun way of teaching today’s youth. If you’re interested, you can find more information about when and where the camps are held, as well as registration information http://www.texasbrigades.org/.