Make your plans for conference trips
The 2009 OWAA Conference in Grand Rapids Michigan will be here before we know it and now is the time to start planning your Pre- and Post-Conference trips. Our trips this year will be customized to fit your interest areas to make sure you have great experiences and that you walk away with several potential stories. If you are interested in any type of fishing trip, OWAA member Dave Richey is the person to contact. Dave will help you plan the perfect trip and make sure you get the stories you need. Contact him at 231-263-7381 or dave@daverichey.com. For interests other than fishing, the Grand Rapids Convention Bureau has teamed up with the state tourism agency, Travel Michigan, to plan trips. Con-tact Tim Nelson at 800-678-9859, ext. 3556, or tnelson@meetgrandrapids.com. We want to make sure you get the trips you need, and we’re ready to start planning now. Contact Dave or Tim today.
Fellowship and scholarship programs suspended for 2009
OWAA’s endowment trustees agreed on Nov. 6, 2008, that no funds will be distributed from the John Madson Fellowship Fund or the Bodie McDowell Scholarship Fund for 2009 fellowships and scholarships because of poor investment performance over the last eight quarters. Endowment trustees are expected to re-evaluate trust fund investments late this year and decide then whether to make distributions for 2010.
Board candidates announced
Board Nominating Committee Chair Chip Gross has announced seven candidates who will compete for three seats on OWAA’s board of directors. The slate, in alphabetical order: Mark Freeman, Jim Junttila, Katie McKalip, Jason McGarvey, Matt Miller, Mary Nickum and Ty Stockton. The committee chose candidates by vote from a pool of 17 members who expressed interest. Candidate profiles and responses to questions will be published in the March OU, and ballots will be mailed to all Active, Senior-Active and Life members in April. Three elected candidates will begin serving three-year terms on OWAA’s board on June 16, 2009. This is in accordance with the bylaws change to reduce the size of each “class” of directors to three, but leaving unchanged the number of required nominees at seven.
Bozka recovering from ravages of Hurricane Ike
Four-year member Larry Bozka is recovering from Hurricane Ike. Bozka lost most everything, but grabbed his guns and Nikon lenses with only moments to vacate his home before Ike’s storm surge flooded his home. “The only thing left intact was the roof and bricks and studs,” said Bozka. “Everything else was destroyed.” Bozka is looking to replace outdoor gear including fishing tackle, binoculars, a Canon XL1 digital video camera body as well as furniture and general household wares. If you have used outdoor gear you’d like to sell, particularly a Canon XL1, please contact Bozka at his new location: 2042 Lakeside Drive, Seabrook, TX 77586, 832-228-5484, larry@coastalanglers.com.
Hare sports new Web site
OWAA member Hobie Hare has co-launched a new Web site, www.yellowstonestories.com, which invites site visitors and members to continue shaping the legacy that is America’s, and the planet’s, first national park. Yellowstonestories.com provides park enthusiasts a common forum for sharing and preserving their experiences, and their love and passion for this amazing place. Memberships are available, with sponsorship options available starting in 2009. Hare also has numerous new Western landscape and abstract images and greeting cards on his Web site at www.wildharephotos.com, with gift sets of Yellowstone winter and summer cards also for purchase.
Keith C. Schuyler Sr., 1919 – 2008
Keith C. Schuyler Sr., an OWAA member since 1965, died Nov. 7, 2008, in his hometown of Berwick, Pa. He was 89. Schuyler began his career as a part-time night reporter and photographer at the Berwick Enterprise newspaper. In 1942 he enlisted in the Air Force Aviation Cadets and served as a pilot and later a commander on a B-24 Liberator bomber. He was shot down over Holland and spent a year as a prisoner of war except for one short-lived escape. Following the war, Schuyler co-operated the Center Airport from 1946 through 1949. Schuyler later returned to the Berwick Enterprise, where he became city editor. In 1938 he began writing an outdoor column, “Fins, Furs and Feathers,” in the Berwick Enterprise, which he continued for 53 years. He also wrote outdoor columns for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Magazine and for the Pennsylvania Game News. He wrote six books, as well as several anthologies and many contributions of fact and fiction, for which he received both state and national writing honors. Schuyler retired his column in 1997 due to declining health. He was a past president of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, a member of OWAA, International Bowhunters Education Foundation and Fishing Creek Sportsmen’s Association, a founding member of the Berwick Archery Club, board member and lifetime member of the National Rifle Association and a former vice president of Trout Unlimited. He also belonged to the Authors Guild and was listed in the International Authors and Writers Who’s Who. He is survived by Eloise, his wife of 66 years; son Bradley Schuyler; and four grandchildren. Funeral services were held Nov. 12 in Berwick. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Columbia Unit, 1948 E. Third St., Williamsport, Pa. 17701-3945.
2008 Presidents Choice Awards announced
Five OWAA past presidents recently judged the “Best of the Best” Excellence in Craft Awards. The winners:
Magazine Category: Chris Madson, Cheyenne, Wyo., “Land of the Free.” Backcountry Sportsman Contest sponsored by the Sierra Club.
TV/Video Category: Chris Dorsey, Orion Multimedia, Littleton, Colo., “Escape to the Wild, Costa Rica Sailfish.” Fishing Contest sponsored by OWAA.
Newspaper Category: David Hendee, Omaha, Neb., “Irrigation Empire.” Conservation/Environment Contest co-sponsored by the National Wildlife Federation and Trout Unlimited.
Art/Photo Category: Charles H. Willey, Lemington, Vt., “Feeding Time.” Natural History Contest sponsored by OWAA.
Radio Category: Chris Slemp, Culloden, W.Va., “The Battle for Seneca Creek.” Backcountry Sportsman Con-test sponsored by Sierra Club.
Madson, Dorsey, Hendee, Willey and Slemp will receive Presidents Choice Award plaques. Congratulations to all! Award recipients along with publication names for the 2008 OWAA Excellence in Craft Awards are published at www.owaa.org/EIC/EIC_Award_Winners2008.htm. A heartfelt “thank you” goes out to the following OWAA past presidents who judged 2008 Presidents’ Choice Awards: Mike Levy, Jim Low, Ed Park, Marty Malin and Spencer Turner.
Strangis leaves Petersen’s
Jay Michael Strangis has left his post as editor of Petersen’s Bowhunting magazine, a position he held for the past 15 years. In that period, Bowhunting magazine grew from 130,000 to just under 200,000 in paid circulation, enjoying the No. 1 ranking among bowhunting periodicals worldwide. Strangis was responsible for creating the concepts for many of the magazine’s best read columns and departments as well as assembling and maintaining a cast of popular regular writers. He also created the popular “Bowhunting Radio” series. Strangis also leaves behind his post as editor of Wildfowl magazine, a position he was awarded five years ago in addition to his duties at Bowhunting.
AGLOW honors Stamm, Watson
The Association of Great Lakes Outdoor Writers recognized works by longtime OWAA members Doug Stamm and Tom Watson at AGLOW’s fall conference in Baudette, Minn. Stamm placed first in photography competition with a photo of a rainbow trout rising for a fly; the shot is posted on the front page of Stamm’s stock photo Web site, www.stammphoto.com. He also received a third place award for a magazine story titled “Fall Muskies on the Flambeau” that appeared in The Sportsman Magazine. Stamm has been an OWAA member since 1989. Twenty-year member Watson received two second-place awards, one of which was published in Ducks Unlimited magazine and entered into the magazine contest category for “Seven Steps to Survival.” Watson received another award in the best outdoor book category for “Kids Gone Paddlin’.” Watson is an active freelancer specializing in Alaska, tourism, outdoor destinations, product reviews and a book author.
Photographers join elite League
Denver-based photographers Wendy Shattil and Bob Rozinski were among only a handful of photographers from around the world to be invited to join the ranks of the prestigious International League of Conservation Photographers.
Shattil and Rozinski have been OWAA members since 1993. Their award-winning work appears in hundreds of publications internationally and 12 of their own books.
The ILCP was established in 2005 with 40 acclaimed photographers. Its mission is to further environmental and cultural conservation through ethical photography.
ILCP membership can be achieved only through a stringent screening process including a written application and a committee review of two comprehensive portfolios of work.
To learn more about the League, its projects, and members, visit www.ilcp.com.
Shattil and Rozinski’s photography may be viewed at their Web site, www.dancingpelican.com. Q
Marchel photo wins again
For the fourth time in 2008, wildlife photographer and writer Bill Marchel has won a monthly online photo contest at Nikonians.org. Marchel won the Nikonians 2008 Wildlife Forum August Challenge: “Birds in Flight” with his dramatic image of a great gray owl in flight.
Nikonians has more than 100,000 members worldwide. With more than 10 million page views per month, Nikonians is the largest site for Nikon camera users in the world. More than 40,000 photographers visit the site daily, to share, learn and be inspired. Marchel, of Fort Ripley, Minn., has been an OWAA member since 1992. See his work at www.BillMarchel.com.
Journalism fellowships available for science immersion workshop
Journalists from all media are invited to apply for a Metcalf Institute fellowship to attend a weeklong science immersion workshop June 7-12, 2009, at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, a leading marine science research campus in Narragansett, R.I.
The 11th Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists teams journalists with scientists and regulatory experts to consider research and policy on coastal environmental issues. The 2009 workshop is titled “Coastal Impacts: Global Climate Change in Coastal Ecosystems.”
This is an opportunity for early- to mid-career journalists to better understand marine and environmental science research methods and sharpen their reporting skills through daily fieldwork and labs.
A fellowship provides tuition, room, board and travel support for attendance in the full program week. Applications must be postmarked by Jan. 26, 2009.
Fellowships applications are available online at www.metcalfinstitute.org or by contacting fellowships@
metcalfinstitue.org or 401-874-6211. q
Deadlines approach for Grantham Prize
The Metcalf Institute for Marine & Environmental Reporting is accepting entries for the fourth annual $75,000 Grantham Prize for Excellence in Reporting on the Environment by journalists in the U.S. and Canada.
Book entries must be postmarked no later than Jan. 12, 2009. All other entries must be postmarked by Feb. 2, 2009.
Eligible entries must cover environment and/or natural resources topics and be originally published or broadcast in the United States or Canada between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2008, in print, broadcast, online or book formats.
The 2008 Grantham Prize was awarded to The New York Times for its series, “Choking on Growth.”
Contest rules and additional information about the Grantham Prize are available online at www.granthamprize.org.
The Grantham Prize is funded by Jeremy and Hannelore Grantham through The Grantham Foundation for the Protection of the Environment. Q
Aid offered to attend children’s-writing workshop
The Highlights Foundation is accepting applications for financial aid to its 25th anniversary Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, slated for July 11-18, 2009. The intensive, weeklong conference is designed for individuals at all levels of experience, from beginning to published, who are interested in writing and illustrating for children.
Chautauqua, home of the famed Chautauqua Institution, is in southwestern New York.
The conference includes seminars, small-group workshops, and one-on-one sessions with some of the most accomplished and prominent authors, illustrators, editors, critics and publishers in the world of children’s literature.
The deadline for financial aid is mid-February, but the Highlights Foundation recommends writers apply as soon as possible. For an application, e-mail Jo Lloyd at
jalloyd@highlightsfoundation.org. For more information visit www.highlightsfoundation.org. q
Hall of Fame taps Cochran
The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2009 includes veteran outdoor newsman Bill Cochran. His byline has appeared more than 300 times in national outdoors magazines. He began writing for the Roanoke Times in 1962 and soon became the paper’s first outdoor writer. His column, “Life Afield,” appeared three times a week for 36 years. Cochran is a 10-time recipient of Virginia Press Association awards and was honored in 1999 with Virginia House Joint Resolution 520, for using his writing to “fight pollution of the Commonwealth’s matchless environment.” The 38th annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place April 25 in Portsmouth, Va. For more information, call 757-393-8031.
Brownlee named board chair
Marine journalist, editor and conservationist John Brownlee has been named by The Billfish Foundation as chairman of its board of trustees. A member of TBF for more than a decade, Brownlee was appointed to the board in 2002. He also is the upper Keys representative for the International Game Fish Association and last year was named editor in chief of Salt Water Sportsman Magazine. The Billfish Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving and enhancing billfish populations worldwide. Its Web site is www.billfish.org.
Wild River Press book honored
“Fly Fishing for Striped Bass” by Rich Murphy has won the Independent Publisher Silver Medal for new books in the category of sports and recreation. The national award was presented at Book Expo 2008 in Los Angeles. The title is the first award-winner published by Wild River Press, the new communications company started by longtime OWAA member Tom Pero of Mill Creek, Wash. Pero directed all editing and graphic production of the book. Wild River Press has also published the critically acclaimed “A Passion for Steelhead” by Dec Hogan and “Creative Fly Tying by Mike Mercer,” among other titles. For information contact tom@wildriverpress.com.
Wiesel starts skiing Web site
Jonathan Wiesel has launched the Web site www.crosscountryskifun.com to share information and experiences about the popular winter sport and to introduce the new online edition of his book, “Cross-Country Ski Getaways” (previously titled “Cross-Country Ski Vacations”). The Web site offers information for beginners to experts, a blog, podcasts and interviews about the sport and ski destinations, an interactive FAQ section (updated weekly), ski-area photos and Web site links. Wiesel has worked as a ski instructor and ski school director, backcountry guide and writer. He founded Nordic Group Inter-national, a recreational trails planning firm.
Documentary debuts at Expo
A documentary about California’s desperate shortage of game wardens, co-produced by James Swan, will premiere Jan. 17 at the International Sportsmen’s Expo in Sacramento, Calif. James and Andrew Swan (Snow Goose Productions) rode along with wardens for nearly two years researching the 56-minute documentary, titled “Endangered Species: California Fish and Game Wardens.”
A panel discussion following the screening will include journalist Tom Stienstra. A
3-minute trailer of the documentary and purchase information for the DVD is at www.jamesswan.com/snowgoose/cp.html. James Swan is an actor, book author and senior columnist for ESPNOutdoors.com. For more information on the screening, visit www.sportsexpos.com.
REI site promotes biking
Outdoor retailer REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.) has launched the Web site www.rei.com/bikeyourdrive, a resource to inspire more people to cycle as an alternate means of transportation. The site offers “how-to” video demonstrations, a calculator to show environmental, caloric and financial savings, and recommended cycling gear essentials. Online expert advice and other tools assist riders of all skill levels in understanding proper safety procedures, bike maintenance and the rules of the road.
Thank you, donors!
November brought monetary gifts from generous donors. These tax-deductible donations are dedicated to funds designed to boost OWAA efforts ranging from education programs to reducing the loan on our headquarters building. For details about OWAA funds, contact Kevin Rhoades at 406-728-7434 or krhoades@owaa.org.
Operating Fund
Celeste Baumgartner
William Forgey
Sam Godfrey
Ann Hirsch, in memory of Bob and Mary Hirsch
Kathleen Kudlinski
Philip Larson
Kathi Morgan
Reginald Morgan
Rich Patterson
Glenn Sapir
Vicki Mountz
Roy Welch
Bodie McDowell Scholarship Fund
Tom Watson
Restricted Endowment
Beau Beasley
Spencer Turner
Tom Watson
Safari Club International, SCI Foundation to fund 2009 Norm Strung Youth Writing Contest
In order to help foster the next generation of outdoors communicators, cash awards are granted annually to winners of the OWAA Norm Strung Youth Writing Contest in grades 6-12 for poetry and prose categories. In 2009, $1,700 in cash awards will be sponsored by Safari Club International, thanks to OWAA Past President Mark LaBarbera, director of marketing of SCI, www.safariclub.org. If you know a student who would like to enter the contest, rules can be found at www.owaa.org/youth_writing.htm. Eligible entries must be published during calendar year 2008. The contest deadline is March 15, 2009.
2009 Photo Exhibit schedule
Winning photos from the 2008 OWAA Excellence in Craft Photo Contest comprise three identical traveling photo exhibits.
Each year, these exhibits travel around the country to sportsmen’s shows, libraries, nature centers, high schools and hospitals.
Open dates are still available for those interested in scheduling an exhibit. Contact OWAA, 406-728-7434, owaa@montana.com. The cost to the exhibitor is $100 to help defray the cost of shipping between locations.
Exhibits will be featured at the following locations:
January
• Great Rockies Sportshow, Billings, Mont.
• Colorado RV Adventure Travel Show, Denver
• Great Rockies Sportshow, Casper, Wyo.
February
• Eastern Fishing and Outdoor Exposition, Worcester, Mass.
• Great Rockies Sportshow, Great Falls, Mont.
• Michigan Deer & Turkey Spectacular, Lansing, Mich.
• Illinois Deer & Turkey Classic, Bloomington, Ill.
• Great Rockies Sportshow, Kalispell, Mont.
March
• Colorado RV, Sports, Boat & Travel Show, Denver
• World Fishing & Outdoor Exposition, Suffern, N.Y.
• Minnesota Deer & Turkey Expo, Owatonna, Minn.
• Ohio Deer & Turkey Expo, Columbus, Ohio
April
• National Center for Nature Photography, Berkey, Ohio
• Wisconsin Deer & Turkey Expo, Madison, WI
May
• National Center for Nature Photography, Berkey, Ohio
• State College Area High School, State College, Pa.
June
• National Center for Nature Photography, Berkey, Ohio
• Springfield Conservation Nature Center, Springfield, Mo.
July
• Indian Creek Nature Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
• DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge, Missouri Valley, Iowa
August
Indian Creek Nature Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa q
National Outdoor Book Award winners
National Outdoor Book Awards, a nonprofit program sponsored by the NOBA Foundation, Idaho State University and the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education, recently announced its 2008 winners.
A complete list and reviews of the winning entries and more information on the awards program may be found at the National Outdoor Book Award’s Web site, www.noba-web.org.
Natural History Literature. “The American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree,” by Susan Freinkel. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Outdoor Literature Category. “Forget Me Not: A Memoir,” by Jennifer Lowe-Anker. The Mountaineers Books, Seattle.
History/Biography Category. “Grand Obsession: Harvey Butchart and the Exploration of the Grand Canyon,” by Elias Butler and Tom Myers. Puma Press, Flagstaff, Ariz.
History/Biography Category. “Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering from the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes,” by Maurice Isserman and Stewart Weaver. Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.
Classic Category. “Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming to Mexico,” by Ellsworth L. Kolb. Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon, Ariz. (Originally published by MacMillan in 1914).
Classic Category. “The Pacific Crest Trail” (series). In three volumes: Southern California, Northern California, and Oregon and Washington. Authors include Thomas Winnett, Ben Schifrin, Jeffrey Schaffer, Ruby Johnson Jenkins and Andy Selters. Wilderness Press, Berkeley.
Children’s Category. “The Pole,” by Eric Walters. Puffin Canada/Penguin Group, Toronto.
Nature and the Environment. “The Last Polar Bear: Facing the Truth of a Warming World,” photographs by Steven Kazlowski. Braided River Books, an imprint of The Mountaineers Books, Seattle.
Nature and the Environment. “The Great Lakes: The Natural History of a Changing Region,” by Wayne Grady. Greystone Books, Vancouver.
Design and Artistic Merit. “Surfboards,” by Guy Motil. Falcon Guides, Guilford, Conn.
Design and Artistic Merit. “Bruce Aiken’s Grand Canyon: An Intimate Affair,” paintings by Bruce Aiken, text by Susan Hallsten McGarry. Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon, Ariz.
Design and Artistic Merit (honorable mention). “Soul of the Heights: 50 Years Going to the Mountains,” photographs and text by Ed Cooper. Falcon Guides, Guilford, Conn.
Nature Guidebooks. “Birds of Peru,” by Tomas S. Schulenberg, Douglas F. Stotz, Daniel F. Lane, John P. O’Neill and Theodore A. Parker III. Princeton University Press, Princeton.
Outdoor Adventure Guidebook. “Florida Keys Paddling Atlas,” by Bill and Mary Burnham. Falcon Guides, Guilford, Conn.
Instructional Category. “Road Bike Maintenance,” by Guy Andrews. Falcon Guides, Guilford, Conn. Q
Sportsman Channel sponsors Big Game Hunting Contest
Michelle Scheuermann, director of communications for The Sportsman Channel Inc., announced that TSC will sponsor Contest 2, the Big Game Hunting Contest, of the 2009 Excellence in Craft contests. Prize monies are listed in the contest rules on Page 27 of the October issue of Outdoors Unlimited and at www.owaa.org/EIC.htm. A heartfelt thank you goes out to The Sportsman Channel and the rest of OWAA’s contest sponsors, which include Coleman, Ducks Unlimited, Realtree, Trout Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, the Sierra Club and the Wilderness Society. Thanks to all!
Dues reminder!
If you haven’t paid your 2009 dues, don’t miss out on OWAA member benefits: Outdoors Unlimited, the OWAA membership directory, the Tech-E Letter, 2009 OWAA conference in Grand Rapids, Mich., discounts on rental cars, hotels and more. If you have questions please contact OWAA headquarters at 406-728-7434 or e-mail members@montana.com. Your membership is important to us!
Update your directory listing
We encourage you to review and update your membership directory listing. If you haven’t done that, please return the updated form that was inserted with your dues invoice to Robin Giner at OWAA, 121 Hickory St., Suite 1, Missoula, MT 59801, or fax 406-728-7445.
Enter ’09 EIC Contests
Thousands of dollars were distributed to OWAA members who entered and won awards in the 2007 Excellence in Craft contests. Our sponsors want to hand you
a check at next year’s awards banquet in Grand Rapids, Mich. The October 2008
OU includes rules and entry forms; they’re also online at www.owaa.org/EIC/2009%20EIC%20Rules.pdf. The final deadline for all contests (except the Book contest) is Jan. 31, 2009. Passwords to enter the members-only portion of the OWAA Web site are published on the masthead, Page 2, of each issue of Outdoors Unlimited. Thank you to our contest sponsors: The Coleman Co., Ducks Unlimited, Sierra Club, Trout Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, Realtree Advantage Camouflage and The Wilderness Society.
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