Click here to download the catalog as a PDF file. To view this site you need Adobe Flash Player and your browser must allow javaScripts. Go here to get the latest Flash Player. Lisa Parsons-Wraith National Wild Turkey Federation Honors Women howcasing our outdoor shooting and hunting heritage in a positive manner is essential to the preservation of the shooting sports. The National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF) recently honored two women for their outstanding contributions to their communities. Cherie Smith of Glen Allen, Va., was awarded the 2009 Annie Oakley Award by the NWTF at its national convention. Smith has spent the last seven years giving back to her community in the name of conservation, hunting and the outdoors. As a member of the Tri-County Spurs Chapter of the NWTF, Smith has served as chapter president, chaired their local fundraising banquet and coordinated Women in the Outdoors events. “Getting women and kids outside to do these activities is so important,” Smith said. Event activities have included archery, GPS, outdoor cooking, survival and fishing. Smith said she got involved with the NWTF because she saw it as an opportunity to give back to her community. “My parents taught me about community service and giving back, and this has S Cherie Smith received the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Annie Oakley Award for her outstanding volunteerism. been a fabulous organization to be able to give back,” said Smith. Her chapter participates in the Turkey Hunters Care program, which provides holiday meals to the less fortunate. Smith said being able to provide an entire meal to families during the holidays “really warms your heart. Community service is where my heart lies.” The Annie Oakley award was presented to Smith at the NWTF convention in Nashville, Tenn., in February. Smith had been asked to present awards to other honorees and had no idea she was there to receive an award herself. She said she was shocked and surprised when she was asked to stay on the stage and receive the Annie Oakley award. “You do all of this and you don’t expect kudos because that’s not why you do it,” Smith said. “But it’s great to get recognition.” Always thinking about ways to help others, Smith said her first thought when she won the award was that hopefully the publicity would bring more people to the annual fundraising banquet she organizes. icole Hafer from Zanesville, Ohio, received NWTF’s 2008 Conservation Educator of the Year Award at the NWTF convention. Hafer, an education specialist with the Muskingum Soil and Water Conservation District, teaches outdoor education classes to local youth. Hafer said she has 20 different conservation programs and one of the most popular centers around wild turkeys. “The wild turkey is a success story in our area because their populations were brought back through wildlife management,” Hafer said. Kindergarten through high-school children learn wildlife conservation through a variety of age-appropriate activities, ranging from making turkey tracks to aging turkeys by studying their legs. Hafer said it’s also an opportunity to bring wildlife to kids in urban areas. “We do a lot on the difference between wild and domestic animals,” Hafer said. In addition, her students plant trees, build wild turkey calls, construct bluebird trails and create butterfly gardens. The NWTF awarded Hafer a $500 grant, which she says will be used to purchase materials such as decoys and turkey calls for her Wild Turkey Education classroom program, plus other educational conservation material. Hafer also ex18 JUNE 2009 N Educator of the Year pressed appreciation to local NWTF chapters that donated education boxes to her program. The NWTF sells a “Wild About Turkeys Education Box” containing everything an educator needs to teach kids about the success of wild turkey conservation. Dealers who wish to further outdoor education in their area should consider donating one of these boxes to their local school district. Visit www.turkey-shoppe.nwtf.org. Nicole Hafer, recipient of NWTF’s 2008 Conservation Educator of the Year Award, teaches outdoor education classes to local youth. Read SI DIGITAL www.shootingindustry.com