The Outdoor Scene

Thousands of people - kids, grownups and entire families - are scouring the outdoors looking for hidden treasure. Are they crazy? Or just addicted to the thrill?

Lacey Bishop, a geocaching enthusiast from Oxford, Mississippi, explains the allure of this unique hobby.

“Geocaching is like a game of hide and seek using a hand-held GPS device,” she said. “Think of it as a high-tech treasure or scavenger hunt for people of all ages.”

While the treasure isn’t valuable, the fun is in recording your experience in the logbook and checking out the trinkets stored in the waterproof container. Caching courtesy dictates that if you take a trinket, you must leave something in its place.

The caches can contain hand-crafted items, special geocoins, jewelry, knick knacks and even hiking stick vouchers, Lacey said.  Items in a cache are inexpensive but they must be appropriate because it’s a family friendly sport. It’s friend friendly sport, too.

“It’s one of those hobbies where you can take a housewife, a firefighter and a CEO and everyone gets along because they’re brought together by their common interest in geocaching,” Lacey explained. “Everyone I’ve met has been really nice.”

While camaraderie is a big part of caching’s charm, it’s primarily the domain of men aged 25 to 55, Lacey explained. The good news is the men are bringing their children along. However, Lacey’s goal is to get more women involved, too.

“One of the reasons I do it is to get outside. I’m a 32-year-old mom. If I wasn’t outdoors, I’d be inside cleaning the house or watching TV,” Lacey said. “Plus, geocaching is a great way to lose weight and get in better physical shape. I’ve already lost weight walking to find geocaches. It could be a mile away but I’m not thinking about that because I’m having so much fun.”

Lacey, who geocaches with her husband and daughter, found her first treasure in March of 2006. Since then, she’s found 2,000 caches in seven states.

Geocaches can be hidden in easy-to-access places such as public parks or they can be located along backcountry hiking trails, underwater or on mountain tops. So the amount of exercise you’ll get varies with the challenge you undertake. You can even give your brain a workout by tackling a puzzle cache, which requires you to discover information or solve a puzzle to find the cache.

Getting started is easy. Lacey said her family stumbled into the adventure by searching online for software to map ATV trails. However, she recommends visiting <http://www.geocaching.com/> where you can begin searching for more than 750,000 active geocaches around the world. All you need is a handheld GPS unit and a sense of adventure.

Or you can join a state or local organization such as the Mississippi Geocachers Association. You can check that site out at <http://www.msga.net/>. By joining an organization you can benefit from training, organized events and a whole new set of friends.

Before you head afield, brush up on Tread Lightly!’s “Tips for Responsible Geocaching” at
<http://www.treadlightly.org/page.php/responsible-geo/Recreation-Tips.html>.

While geocaching sounds like lots of fun, I think I’ll continue practicing my own form of the sport, which I call “scouting.” And if I I’m lucky enough to find my treasure, I’ll call it dinner!

Last week was a whirlwind tour of meetings in Washington, D.C. with several federal natural resource agencies before attending the 74th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference. Conference host, the Wildlife Management Institute, was established in 1911 to restore declining wildlife populations.

Today, though many game species have been restored, wildlife professionals attending the conference still address a variety of resource concerns and now people issues as well. In recent decades, their focus has expanded to include problems related to decreasing numbers of hunters, target shooters and anglers.
 
Natural resource agencies and conservation organizations have developed a myriad of programs designed to retain those who hunt, shoot and fish as well as recruit from the ranks of women, nontraditional users and young people. Our ability to manage this country’s wildlife and fisheries depends on hunting and fishing license sales as well as excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, fishing equipment and motorboat and small engine fuels.  Thus the entire industry has a vested interest in making sure we’re developing the next generation of conservation stewards.

One effort in particular stands out because of its sophisticated approach in an industry not known for its marketing savvy. The Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation’s Take Me Fishing campaign is dedicated to getting more people involved in fishing, boating and aquatic stewardship.
 
While at the North American Conference, I talked to Stephanie Hussey, RBFF’s director of state initiatives, about the organization’s formula for success. Stephanie, who has been with RBFF for 8 years, describes fishing as a gateway activity – a fun, user-friendly sport that can lead people to try boating and other outdoor pastimes.

Though accessible, there are a few barriers to fishing, namely not knowing how or when to do it or where to go, Stephanie said. People who used to fish but quit report their most significant obstacle is a perceived lack of time.

That’s why RBFF has geared its Take Me Fishing campaign to encourage families to spend time together on the water.

Take Me Fishing

“Parents don’t frame photos of their kids playing video games,” Stephanie quipped. “Through our advertising and promotional efforts, we work with state agencies to capture the excitement and memories associated with boating and fishing. It’s a campaign that not only creates awareness but encourages a broad range of audiences to move towards participation.”

In addition to media plans, direct mail and other tools to create awareness and action, RBFF offers a comprehensive Web site that will have novice and experienced anglers clicking for more. Visit www.takemefishing.org to locate places to go, buy a fishing license, learn about equipment and boats as well as different kinds of fish you can catch and strategies to catch them.

Stephanie also recommends that once you’re in the swing of things, check out Fishington, the fishing and boating capital of the internet.

“Fishington is a social network for anglers where they can share tips and stories and find hotspot lists, boating access points and more,” Stephanie said. “It helps to create a culture that fosters interest in fishing.”

A new game will be introduced at Fishington in June that will allow people to win prizes, including the grand giveaway, which is a boat. Stay tuned for more details on that, but suffice to say the more you play, the more you can win.

Another great RBFF program is Anglers’ Legacy. This program is about giving back by making a promise to introduce somebody new to fishing – a family member, co-worker, neighbor or acquaintance at church. Stephanie said it’s easy to sign up and doesn’t cost anything to participate. Plus, you’ll get a quarterly newsletter full of tips and information. All you have to do is take a pledge to introduce someone new to fishing and then follow through.

For those who coordinate or teach at an outdoor program, you’ll find great resources and help in planning your event at www.rbff.org.

The one thing I came away with from attending the North American Conference is that it’s not all doom and gloom. Sure there are some challenges to the future of hunting, shooting and fishing. But there’s also a cadre of smart and dedicated people working to find solutions. And the folks at RBFF are a fine example of that.

Now that my high school days are just historical evidence of my existence nearly three decades ago, it’s little wonder I don’t remember much about the experience. Sure, I’ll have momentary recollections if I hear songs such as “Back in Black” by AC/DC, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by the Clash. But overall, the hard drive has been reformatted too many times and some files are unrecoverable.

One image I have retained was a beautiful spring day when the physical education teacher took us outside to teach us how to shoot a bow and arrow. I had already learned the basics at summer camp so I put my time to good use by pretending to shoot the dairy cows in the pasture next to the school. By the way they placidly went on with their chewing, they were none too alarmed at being 100 plus yards away from the threat I posed.

Why I remember that particular day, I have no earthly idea, other than archery is really fun. And thanks to the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), kids are still discovering that great sense of achievement you get when mastering a new skill.

Started in Kentucky in 2002, NASP is designed to teach international style target archery in physical education classes for kids in 4th to 12th grades. The two-week curriculum allows students to learn archery history, safety, technique, equipment, mental concentration, core strengthening physical fitness and self-improvement.

The teachers get a lesson in archery as well, undergoing an 8-hour National Archery in the Schools Program Basic Archery Instructor Training Program before they introduce the program.

The fun part is when the young archers get to shoot at targets placed before an arrow curtain in their gymnasium. They use state-of-the-art equipment that’s designed to fit every student, thanks in large part to support from the archery industry.

Today the program is in 46 states as well as four Canadian provinces, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. And what teachers are finding is their students are more engaged in school. Classroom performance improves and dropout rates decline. It’s reported that in the U.S., school dropout rates are about 10 percent with most students (88 percent) who quit indicating they weren’t involved in extracurricular activities. NASP after-school archery clubs give kids a reason to stay in school and excel at their studies.

Plus, it’s a safe activity where girls, boys, athletes, non athletes and young people with disabilities can all compete on a level playing field. It’s an activity that kids can carry into adulthood, too. Many adults hope some of these young archers become bowhunters and the next generation of conservation stewards. 

It’s a program that really does work. NASP President Roy Grimes, who has worked tirelessly launching and growing the program, received a letter this month from Susan Hedden of Kentucky that made his day.

Susan saw her daughter Carly,

Young archer Carly Hedden tastes the sweetness of success!

who had been hampered by asthma, flourish because of the NASP program. That sense of belonging is important to young people, and she reported that being part of a team was having a wonderful impact in her daughter’s life and other students in her community. Here’s what else Susan told Roy in her letter.

Mr. Grimes,

My daughter was one of the middle school students at the exhibition last week at Westridge Elementary.  I want thank you for putting so much into this program.  It is because of this program my daughter is maturing and doing things that she would not have otherwise done.  She is making choices more wisely in every aspect of her life.

I know that Coach Kelly Carr has a lot to do with her achievements but if you did not have a vision we would not have had this opportunity.

The exhibition at Westridge was wonderful.  I was so impressed how everyone made the students into the stars.

The entire NASP program has impressed me so much that I now would like the opportunity to be a part of it.  Kelly Carr told me that you are preparing a training class on April 29th and I would love to participate in it if at all possible.  Also, there is another parent that is interested in being certified as well.  We are looking to work with the Archery teams in the Franklin County School System.

If you do have room for the two of us in your class please let me know and any information we may need.

Again, I appreciate all of your dedication to this program.

Thanks,

Susan L. Hedden

It sounds like Susan caught the fever herself and plans to become an instructor!

Being involved in NASP is good for students and instructors because it takes us from just hoping for change to really doing something about it.

If you’d like to see the NASP program in action, click on the link below and then select the April 2007 show to see how South Carolina teachers and the Department of Natural Resources are working together to change young lives.

http://www.myoutdoortv.com/explore-the-u.s./south-carolina.html

Who needs American Idol’s Top 13 performers when my backyard feathered friends are “kicking it out of the box” as Randy Jackson would say? Last weekend was particularly warm here in South Carolina, which had just about every bird rehearsing for Avian Idol. And I, being much more like Paula Abdul than Simon Cowell, loved what everyone was wearing and didn’t think anyone sounded “pitchy.”

Right now, the male cardinals are really vamping it up at the feeders, belting out their “cheer cheer cheer” song. They’re dressed in their spring finery, too. A couple of them are as red as ripe tomatoes, which according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has distinct advantages. The brighter red males hold the primo territories, feed at higher rates and have greater reproductive success than duller ones. I guess it pays to be a star.

Ounce for ounce, the loudest singer is the Carolina wren. There’s one that sits on a deck chair below my office window whistling “tea-kettle tea-kettle tea-kettle.” With his head tipped up, you can see his throat moving as he pumps out the notes. The performance is dancy and flirtatious, though I don’t know if he’s looking for a mate, or singing to his longtime partner as Carolina wrens bond for life. Another neat thing about them is breeding pairs often combine their two songs into a duet, considered one of the most complex vocal performances among all animals. When the female chimes in during the chorus, even new Idol judge Kara DioGuardi can’t find fault with that.

The mockingbirds in my yard aren’t afraid to tackle a complex tune and wow the judges with their loud, persistent call. They also have the ability to add new sounds to their song repertoire throughout their lives. Mockingbirds not only sing throughout the day, unmated males will also croon into the night, especially when the moon is full. Even when Avian Idol is on hiatus, mockingbirds still sing, though their spring and fall songs are different.

I see eastern bluebirds in my yard throughout the year, too, though right now they’re getting serious about their future. The male serenades every female within earshot while flitting from one nest box to another on a serious house hunting mission. Even when I don’t actually see these blue devils, I can pick out their warbling whistle a mile away.

While some will argue this point, there’s no better time of day than the early morning hours. My backyard sounds like everyone has come together to perform one of those big cheesy group numbers you see on Idol’s results show. The pine warbler, tufted titmouse and house finch all add to the melody with their trilling. I just love it when they rock the house.

Of course, the vocals I yearn for most won’t happen in my backyard. I’ll have to travel to my favorite stage in the woods. But boy, will it be worth it. A combination of Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and David Cook, the gobble of the wild turkey is definitely a number one hit. And if I see and hear a wild turkey up close this spring, that’s one show I hope ends with a bang!

So baby let’s sell your diamond ring
Buy some boots and faded jeans and go away
This coat and tie is choking me
In your high society you cry all day
We’ve been so busy keepin’ up with the Jones
Four-car garage and we’re still building on
Maybe it’s time we got back to the basics of love

-Luckenbach Texas (Back to the Basics of Love) Waylon Jennings, 1977

Waylon’s powerful baritone in this anthem to the simple life is as unforgettable as the hard economic times the country faced in the late ‘70s. For those of us old enough to remember, getting back to the basics was more of a necessity than a choice for many Americans.

And now, more than 30 years later, here we go again. This country’s economic woes hang over us like the cloud that floated over Pigpen’s head in Charlie Brown. Skillful, dedicated workers are laid off, houses are lost and lives, if not ruined, are horribly disrupted.

Unless you’re a believer in the apocalypse, you can trace the history of the world as a series of bad times followed by good times. The Dark Ages and the Renaissance. The American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era. Through it all, humans have thrived when they could and endured when they had to.

Some say we wouldn’t know or appreciate prosperity without hardship. In fact, if there’s a bright spot, coping with adversity can bring out people’s better qualities. Entrepreneurship takes off. Thriftiness becomes admirable. And there’s a new yearning and appreciation for the simpler things in life. The love of our friends and family. The feeling of being connected to nature. Traits that will help us regain our foothold in our quest for success.

We’re already seeing signs that this idea of getting back to the basics is catching on. There’s an Allstate Commercial where Dennis Haysbert reminds us America has endured 12 recessions since the Great Depression.  Haysbert’s voiceover “After the fear subsides …people start enjoying the small things in life” is underscored by photos of families enjoying a home cooked meal and young boys shooting hoops in the driveway. I don’t usually rave on commercials, but this one is spectacularly done because it recognizes the pendulum effect of our economy and reminds us of our resilience.

A 2009 TripAdvisor travel survey verifies that this return to the basics is not just something you’ll see in a commercial. One of the primary trends identified is people are planning to enjoy the outdoors. A whopping 73 percent of respondents said they plan to visit a national park while 53 percent plan to go hiking.

Camping is also on America’s agenda this year as attendance and sales were up at recent RV shows in Michigan, Maryland, Utah and Florida. It’s a buyer’s market now and even with the cost of an RV, camping is still 27 to 61 percent less expensive than other types of vacations.

News such as this begs the question, will more people also hunt?  A reference to a study in the book “The Future of Hunting and Shooting Sports” suggests there’s a correlation between new housing starts and license sales. The study looked at 43 variables including economic data and found that as new housing starts increased, the sale of hunting licenses decreased. This could be the result of a couple of different factors: urbanization takes away hunting land or access to it and/or increased construction activity leaves less time for hunting (another part of the study found many hunters are in the construction business).

Doesn’t it stand to reason that if housing starts decrease then hunting and fishing license sales will increase? While researchers may not have the answer to that one yet, it sounds logical. And hopefully it would have a snowball effect as men (who make up the majority of hunters and anglers), would introduce their wives, girlfriends, sons and daughters to the woods and waters.

Hunting and fishing are great back-to-the-basics activities because not only will you enjoy the time spent outdoors, you can fill your freezer with healthy, nutritious meat that any locavore would love.

That reminds me of another classic country song by Hank Williams, Jr. Released in 1981, “Country Boy Can Survive” is an ode to survival and self sufficiency that rose to the top of the charts when times were tough in America. For many, the message still resonates today.

And we can skin a buck; we can run a trot-line
And a country boy can survive

Come to think of it, so can a country girl.

This is a difficult period for many Americans. But have faith. Plant a garden this spring. Go turkey hunting. Enjoy a picnic at a nearby state park. Watch the birds at your feeder. Catch a fish. And live like you mean it.