DNR wildlife education program barely scrapes by Minnesota's most important wildlife education program could soon become extinct for lack of even the most basic funds to reach teachers and students. Teachers throughout Minnesota who've called the program for information on sound wildlife biology and management have had to look elsewhere.
Animals skins, skulls, and other wildlife paraphernalia held by fascinated students are in tatters.
And yet, with a few notable exceptions, hunters and anglers spend far more on shells and bait than on education programs. To be sure, the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, Pheasants Forever, the Minnesota Waterfowl Association, Ducks Unlimited, and the Minnesota Trappers Association run active youth education programs. So do several local rod and gun clubs. But these groups' combined membership still makes up less than 10 percent of the state's hunters. Roger Holmes, Division of Fish and Wildlife director, believes that education is the key to reaching an increasingly urbanized generation that too often sees wildlife only on television nature shows or cartoons.