Pheasants Forever (PF) and Quail Forever (QF) announce six new members to its National Youth Leadership Council (NYLC), including Irma’s Donald Ogden.
Established in 2006, the organization’s National Youth Leadership Council is comprised of 20 young people from around the country nominated by a local Pheasants Forever or Quail Forever chapter. Participants serve as spokespersons for their age group on issues related to conservation and our outdoor traditions, hunting and conservation issues and advise PF/QF on youth programs.
“We all believe youth are the future of conservation,” explained Rich Wissink, the organization’s Director of Youth Programs. “At Pheasants Forever, the National Youth Leadership Council is our way of putting action behind a phrase in danger of becoming a cliché. I’m excited about the talent and passion for wildlife habitat these six new council members bring to our group of young conservation leaders.”
Donald Ogden was nominated to PF/QF’s NYLC for his leadership and work with the Lincoln County Pheasants Forever Chapter. He is the son of Donald and Lori Ogden. He will be a junior at Merrill High School this fall. He is a hunting conservationist who enjoys spending time outdoors. He is a member of Merrill High School FFA, an avid trap shooter and enjoys spending time training his yellow lab, Samantha.
“Donald is an active member of our local chapter’s committee,” added Wissink. “He’s shown his leadership with the local FFA trap shooting club and at our youth events this summer. He’s playing a big role in our upcoming pollinator habitat project that will be planted this fall in cooperation with Merrill Park and Rec.
“Our entire NYLC has kept me optimistic about the future of hunting and wildlife conservation. They share the same land stewardship values and passion for sharing our outdoor traditions as PF /QF volunteers across the country. They aren’t just the future, they are conservation leaders today.”
Other new members hail from Kansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s National Youth Leadership Council has worked on such important issues as bringing attention to the Federal Farm Bill and its significance to wildlife habitat conservation. Members of the group met with U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives during the last Farm Bill debate to voice their generation’s concerns for conservation. They have also helped pass state legislation to reduce age restrictive barriers to introduce young people to hunting, raised money for purchasing youth only public hunting grounds and have helped introduce thousands of youth and their families to our outdoor traditions across the country.