As a teenager in the 1970s, I must have heard comedian Carol Burnett sing, “I’m so glad we had this time together” dozens of times. When she tugged on her ear at the end of the song, you knew the show was over.
Today, I’ll be closing the curtain on my episode as editor of “Wednesdays for Women.”
I want to give a heartfelt thank you to Jim Shepherd, editor and publisher of The Outdoor Wire, for giving me the chance to talk to you each week. It has been one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had in my 24-year career in outdoor communications. I’ll continue to enjoy Jim’s timely and insightful updates Monday through Friday on The Outdoor Wire.
I am sad to say good bye to this opportunity and at the same time excited about what’s behind door number 2.
I’ll be able to focus more of my time now on Remington Outdoor Foundation, an organization that is quietly doing the kind of work I can fully commit to. Founded in January 2009 as a nonprofit 501 (C) (3), Remington Outdoor Foundation’s mission is to support the efforts of conservation organizations, wildlife agencies and other partners to share our hunting and shooting traditions with youth, women and other participants — while emphasizing safety, training and ethics. The organization also upholds conservation principles through assisting its partners’ work on habitat enhancement, wildlife research and management projects.
To that end, Remington Outdoor Foundation is collaborating with some important partners including the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP), International Hunter Education Association (IHEA), Ducks Unlimited (DU), National Rifle Association (NRA), National Forest Foundation (NFF) and the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of Wyoming (WHFW).
Plus, a full website is in the works that I expect will become THE online guide to the outdoors. Outdoor Roadmap will host a vibrant community where visitors can trade tips, stories, photos and videos. It also will answer the question, “where can I go to hunt and target shoot?” by offering interactive maps and other tools. In addition, you’ll get product reviews, event listings, training and licensing resources as well as coupons and discounts on gear. Stay tuned! You’ll be hearing a lot more in the coming weeks and months.
I’m also looking forward to another challenge I’ve accepted as editorial director of The American Chestnut Foundation’s (TACF) magazine. I’m working with great friends including graphic designer Jeff Hughes and editor James Powell as well as the Foundation’s CEO Bryan Burhans and director of communications, Meghan Jordan. We’ll be working together to revamp “The Journal of the American Chestnut Foundation” with the first issue of this new bimonthly, full-color magazine available this summer.
The American Chestnut Foundation is working diligently to launch the next phase of restoring the American chestnut tree to its native range in the eastern United States. After years of conducting a breeding program based on scientific research, the Foundation now hopes to begin reforestation trials with blight-resistant American-type trees before the end of the decade. Thus, it’s only fitting they have a new and improved magazine, and I’m green with happiness to be a part of their progress.
I’ll also continue my volunteer work as a board member for the Professional Outdoor Media Association and Orion – The Hunters’ Institute, two organizations I am proud to be a part of. In addition, I hope to do more freelance writing for magazines and websites.
So, while I’ll no longer be a writer/editor for The Outdoor Wire, I’ll never be far from the outdoor industry I love so much and all the wonderful people who are a part of it.
Stay in touch by contacting me at:
Facebook.com/tammy.sapp2
pr@tammysappcommunications.com