This summer, the youth conservation program Wildlife Leadership Academy in Union County, awarded five teens Ralph Abele Excellence in Outreach Awards, which includes a $500 college scholarship. 

Awardees include John Sandala of Westmoreland County (Bucktails field school); Jonathan Simak of Rockville, MD (Bass field school); Lenka Platt of Halifax, PA (Brookies field school); Pierce Landis of Warren, PA (Drummers field school); and Laurie Enders of Ford City, PA (Gobblers field school). 

Together the awarded students dedicated 798 hours to their communities and connected with over 3,500 citizens.

Wildlife Leadership Academy is a year-round program for high-school age youth that begins with rigorous summer field schools that focus on wildlife/fisheries biology and conservation, as well as leadership skills development. 

Following the field schools, students are mentored through the following year to serve as Conservation Ambassadors, giving back to their communities through education, service, media engagement, creative arts and outdoor mentorship.

The awardees each attended a 2017 Academy field school, taking their role as a Conservation Ambassador to heart by going above and beyond to make an impact in their community into the next year. 

The Academy has been giving these awards since its inception in 2007.  However, this year, the award was renamed in honor of Pennsylvania’s conservation leader, Ralph Abele.

“Because of Mr. Abele’s dedication to engaging youth in conservation and the outdoors, renaming our Excellence in Outreach Award in his honor seemed like a perfect full circle moment,” said Academy Executive Director, Michele Kittell.

Laurie Enders felt that winning the award was an incredible honor. “Being recognized in Ralph Abele's memory is truly inspiring! It helps me to see that my efforts to demonstrate the importance of conservation are being heard, and seen, and that they are making a difference.”

At each field school, part of the curriculum includes Ralph Abele’s story shared through the documentary Straight Talk: The Ralph Abele Story produced by WITF in partnership with the Pennsylvania Conservation Heritage Project. 

“Sharing his story with young, eager conservation leaders exemplifies to them that even in difficult times, one can make amazing strides on behalf of our natural resources by working hard and having a belief in something bigger than themselves,” Kittell says.

Award winner Pierce Landis agrees. “Overall this Academy has driven me to new all-time highs and has become one of the milestones of my student career. I have worked diligently on my outreach, presenting in numerous classrooms and furthering my own education.  Receiving the ‘Ralph Abele Excellence in Outreach Award’ has shown me that I have made a difference and can accomplish what I apply myself to. This has given me more drive to do further outreach, and has given me hope that I may someday make as large of an impact as Ralph Abele did.”

The mission of the Wildlife Leadership Academy is to engage and empower high school age youth to become Conservation Ambassadors to ensure a sustained wildlife, fisheries and natural resource legacy for future generations.

In total, the Academy’s Conservation Ambassadors have conducted 4,194 outreach projects, given more than 12,000 hours of work to their communities, and engaged over 72,000 citizens.

2019 Leadership Academy

The Wildlife Leadership Academy has opened its exclusive Youth Conservation Ambassador nomination process for 2019 to the public and is currently seeking referrals of motivated students ages 14 to 17 to become Certified Conservation Ambassadors.

Nominations are now being accepted online.  Applicants may be nominated by an adult who knows them well, but is not a relative (teacher, school counselor, Envirothon advisor, employer, youth group leader, etc.).

Please contact Michele Kittell, Executive Director, at 570-245-8518 or send email to: mkittell@wildlifeleadershipacademy.org  with any questions.

The Academy, a nonprofit organization, is a cooperative initiative involving state agencies and conservation organizations. For more information, visit the Wildlife Leadership Academy website or on Facebook.

(Photo: Michele Kittell and Award winner Pierce Landis.)

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[Posted: Sept. 13, 2018]

9/17/2018