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 Here I am participating in an activity at the Bobwhite Brigade. I am "hunting." Dummy animals were set up along a pasture road. Whenever I saw one I would yell "game" and tell the instructor what the animal was and if it was legal to shoot. If you look carefully you can see two fake Morning Dove in the tree. |
The Bobwhite Brigade is one camp out of several different Texas Brigades camps. In addition to the Bobwhite Brigade, the Texas Brigades host the Buckskin Brigade, Feathered Forces Brigade, and the Bass Brigade. Each of these camps focuses on a specific animal. For example the Bobwhite Brigade teaches you about quail, primarily the Bobwhite quail, the Buckskin Brigade focuses on deer, the Feathered Forces Brigade focuses on turkey and quail, and the Bass Brigade focuses on bass. To sum it all up, the Texas Brigades is a wildlife-focused leadership development program for youth. Each of these camps take 30 youth, ages ranging from 13 to 17 years old, out into the wild itself for 4 ˝ days.
At the camp I was introduced to habitat management, communication skills, anatomy and behavior of quail, botany, nutrition, radio telemetry, and population dynamics. I went out into the field and gathered plants to make a plant collection, dissected a Bobwhite Quail, made my own quail taxidermy, and constructed a tri-fold display. One of my favorite things was radio telemetry. We put a radio transmitter on an adult male Bobwhite quail and turned him loose. Two days later with several other kids and the proper equipment, I tracked the quail and caught him only a quarter mile away from where he had been released.
The Texas Brigades focus not only on wildlife conservation but also on leadership development and communication skills. I was instructed how to handle television and radio interviews. Afterwards, I had the opportunity to be mock interviewed by a radio host and a television crew. This proved beneficial when a couple of months after camp I was interviewed by Fox Southwest Sports. Everyone who attends the camp will learn how to speak to an audience. There are also fun games and challenges that support team work and creativity.
I strongly felt that the camp instructors really cared a lot about me at the Bobwhite Brigade. Most of the instructors and mentors are top wildlife professionals and resource managers. They took personal time in helping me succeed at whatever I was doing by encouraging me to do my absolute best. I came out of the experience a more confident person and wish to go back to the camp as an assistant leader.
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Since I attended the Bobwhite Brigade I have given numerous presentations and found many doors opened for me. Because of my involvement with the Brigades, I am now the secretary of Lone Star Quail Forever, an organization dedicated to the conservation of quail. I have written articles, done a TV interview, and worked with Bass Pro Shop, Cabela’s, and the Texas Divas. I completed a record book and turned it in to the Brigades for evaluation. Because I had completed a certain number of programs for the Bobwhite Brigade, I was selected to go on a weekend quail hunt at the Santa Anna Hunting Area in Santa Anna, Texas. There I was awarded with a $250 gift certificate for completing more programs than any of the other kids who attended the camp. The Brigades also award many scholarships every year.
If you or someone you know cares about wildlife, conservation, leadership opportunities, or just being in the outdoors and would like to attend any one of the Texas Brigades camps, you may contact me at (903) 640–2073 or visit the Brigades website at www.texasbrigades.org. The Bobwhite Brigade is a remarkable experience. To attend the Bobwhite Brigade requires filling out an application form and composing a one page essay on why you would like to attend. They only select 30 youth so please hurry as all applications are due by April 1, 2007!
