January 2012 Archives - Outdoor Writers Association of America

Whoa, their!

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:23:40 +0000

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BY CHARLIE SLOVENSKY
Everyone has their pet peeves. This is one of mine, not theirs.
It used to be that everyone had his pet peeves. I’m willing to go so far as to say, “Everyone has his or her pet peeves,” in deference to a gender-sensitive audience. But the trouble with political correctness is that the full impact of the altered paradigm is not always thoroughly evaluated before the new status quo becomes established.
When it became acceptable to replace “he or she” with “they” or other various forms of “everyman,” it followed that the possessive “their” displaced “his or her.” But I simply can’t get used to “their” being used as singular. It clearly isn’t singular when you write, “Every hunter dreams of a gobbler making a beeline for their setup.” I cringed when I read that in a national magazine. I’m not citing the reference, because then I’d have to issue a citation to the author, and haul the editor and proofreader into grammar court as well.
I’m sure when two hunters are partnering on a tom, with one doing the calling and the other doing the shooting, it makes sense to hope the turkey comes to their setup. But “Joe and Dan” is not the same as “every hunter.”
When did it become grammatically acceptable to switch from singular to plural between a noun and its possessive forms? Have we become too lazy to deal with gender differences like “he” and “she,” or have we lost track of who “they” are? Why can’t we go back to using “his or her” as a gender-neutral, singular possessive expression? It’s neither “his” nor “hers,” but works for either and sounds a whole lot better than “their.”
Or, will it be, “to each their own?” Really? Is that next?
—A member since 2002, Charlie Slovensky is from Dacula, Ga. He is a regular contributor to River Hills Traveler. Contact him at rs30019@bellsouth.net.
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Tracking your notes: Margin shorthand

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:16:37 +0000

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BY TOM WATSON
As a writer who has edited copy for a living, both my own and the work of others, I know the value of using proofreaders’ marks to indicate changes to the text. Such notations provide a concise, efficient way to re-work a piece. I employ a similar concept when referencing pages of notes to help me build a story as well as develop or solidify the angle or slant of an article as it evolves into a publishable piece.
A bulk of my freelance writing involves frequent contributions to established columns or pages for websites and magazines. I have standardized my own style to be compatible with the format of these outlets, as the format usually doesn’t vary from issue to issue. My personal system works well with notes I’ve made from any information source. It is especially effective when used in conjunction with phone interviews.
Typically, I already have background information and rely on the interview for updates and personalized insights not found elsewhere. Having never learned formal shorthand, or even developed my own style that I could read once I hung up the phone, I started using simple abbreviations or even simply capital letters in the margin to mark each block of notes taken during the interview.
Every writer should be familiar with the five W’s of journalism. Those what, when, where’s, etc., are the nuts and bolts used to build a story. As I go through and re-write my notes for clarity, each snippet that offers information on one of those components gets a “Why” or “Who” beside it in the margin. Likewise, a historical tidbit or the need/availability of a photo is also marked — with simply an “H” or “P” in the margin. Basically, each segment of text in my notes, no matter how small or fragmented, is qualified as one component or another. When I go back through the pages I can focus on one component and get a sense of what I have and how that information can best be presented, alone or in conjunction with others.
If those W’s are the nuts and bolts of a story, a good quote is the lock washer of an article! It can add personal emphasis to a string of facts and other necessary information. And as important as it is to make sure you get everything down verbatim, it’s equally vital to get the source right, too. Even though I know who I will need to speak with and have their name and title on file before the interview begins, I always verify the spelling and the position of interviewees and write this information at the top of the note page. I give each a numerical reference so I can simply write that number down — in the margin — as each quote is recorded.
While this method is barely Journalism 101 stuff, it does work effectively for me. Another benefit of this method is that it helps me determine the best direction to take a story within the latitudes of the publication’s style or format. I try to add these margin notes as I am interviewing but rarely does the pace of the conversation slow down to match my speed of legible writing. Afterwards I can go back and quickly scan that left-hand column and see which categories seem to dominate the information. This has advantages as well. A piece with several history references might offer a unique perspective for a lead-in. An abundance of “who’s,” for example, might steer the emphasis of the piece towards the personnel behind a topic. Too few references may mean I need to seek more information to round out the piece.
A blessing and a curse of this method are tracking what you already used as well as what you still have to consider. I simply cross out those snippets of information as they are incorporated into the article. Seldom is everything used but at least every notation is considered. A problem can arise when there are so many components that you might overlook a key fact. Repeated scanning and double-checking down those margin notes can help. I often use a red marker to check off margin pieces I’ve already used. Sometimes those pages end up looking like a butcher’s apron.
Margin notes serve a purpose beyond categorizing information segments; they offer a skeletal glimpse of where the story might be taken. It may be seat-of-the-pants journalism in its crudest form, but it’s simple, direct and helps me put together a well-rounded article. You can’t ask for more than that.
—A member since 1988, Tom Watson is a freelance writer and photographer specializing in Alaska, tourism, outdoor destinations and product reviews. He is also a guidebook author. Contact him at tom@tomwatsonwrites.com.
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Book appeal

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 18:07:44 +0000

Why some authors are making the big bucks and some aren’t

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BY SHAWN PERICH
Every autumn I get royalty checks for books I’ve written over the years. As with most outdoor writers, my royalties are not enough to buy a second house or take a European vacation, but they are a welcome return for work completed years ago. What’s interesting is my best-selling books have nothing to do with hunting and fishing. One, a guide to tourist attractions on the north shore of Lake Superior, was published in 1991 and is still in print. Another, “Backroads of Minnesota,” a collaborative work with a nature photographer, was published in 2002 and reissued in a new format in 2011. Both have sold better than my fishing and hunting titles for one simple reason: they appeal to a much wider audience.
It’s easy for outdoor writers to get into a rut, especially if your main motivation for entering the business in the first place was a passion for fishing and hunting. It’s easy to write about your passion and even easier to convince yourself that your passion is shared by legions of readers. But as they say, reality bites. How many folks, for instance, really care to read about the smelliest catfish baits or how to grunt like a sex-crazed whitetail buck? More to the point, over the course of your career, how often do you want to write about the same, stale hook-and-bullet topics?
Minnesota, my home state, has a vibrant hunting and fishing culture. But even here, the writing is on the wall. Measured by license sales, fishing has been stagnant for more than a decade and participation in hunting other than for turkeys and deer is in a long-term decline. In short, hunters and anglers aren’t likely to disappear from Minnesota, but their numbers will diminish over time. Be that as it may, interest and participation in mainstream outdoor activities remains strong.
I live on Lake Superior’s North Shore, a prime outdoor destination for the Upper Midwest. Within an hour’s drive of my home are hundreds of lakes and trout streams, as well as hundreds of thousands of acres of public forests open to hunting. It ain’t a bad place to be if you like to hunt and fish. However, while hunting and fishing are popular with residents and area visitors, these activities represent a small slice of what people do outdoors on the North Shore. Activities ranging from canoe tripping and sea kayaking to hiking and plein air painting appeal to the mainstream. Many North Shore outdoor users prefer to spend a couple of hours doing something outside and then head to town to explore shops, galleries and restaurants.
Our publication for this market, Northern Wilds, reflects the outdoor mainstream. We’ve had photos of hikers, cross-country skiers, surfers and wildlife on the cover, but never hunters or anglers. We feature hunting and fishing stories, but devote more coverage to mainstream activities from visiting state parks to suggestions for easy day hikes. Both our readers and advertisers like our editorial mix.
Ok, so what does any of this have to do with traditional hook-and-bullet writing? Well, we’ve discovered that although we are always looking for outdoor-related stories, most traditional outdoor writers either don’t have the interest or the material to cover topics beyond hunting and fishing. We find it especially difficult to find local photos of people enjoying mainstream outdoor activities such as cross-country skiing, hiking or sea kayaking. (Note, we only use photos taken within our coverage area.) We know superb wildlife and landscape photographers — they just don’t take pictures of people having fun.
Northern Wilds is by no means the only media source looking for mainstream outdoor material. A wide range of publications publish outdoor features on topics other than hunting and fishing. Outdoor writers, by virtue of spending lots of time in the field, are uniquely suited to provide stories and photos about mainstream topics. Doing so is a great way to expand your base and broaden your appeal to editors and readers.
There’s just one catch. Collecting material for mainstream outdoor stories may cut into your hunting and fishing time, but just a little. Most hook-and-bullet writers are well acquainted with the parks, scenic routes and waterways in their neck of the woods. Most also have related outdoor interests, such as hiking, birding or cross-country skiing. Consider all of this “insider information” an enterprising writer can put to good use when working with mainstream editors.
While it won’t work for every market, pitch mainstream editors story ideas about outdoor activities anyone can do. Lots of folks want to know what you may take for granted: accessible locations to see wildlife, hiking trails suitable for all ages or the best parks to take kids camping. Shoot pictures of people participating in mainstream outdoor activities — you may find such photos are always in demand.
When writing for mainstream audiences, bear in mind your readers may have a casual interest in the outdoors. Keep your prose simple and easy to understand. I like to picture my reader as someone who knows nothing about the topic and is counting on me to explain it to them. If I pique the reader’s interest, perhaps they’ll try something they’ve never done before. If so, the community of outdoor users — and my readership — may grow by one. And that’s good for business — for all of us.
—Shawn Perich, of Hovland, Minn., has been a member since 1985. In addition to his duties as editor and publisher of Northen Wilds Media, he is a columnist for Minnesota Outdoor News and a book author. Contact him at editor@northernwilds.com.
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E-books can be much more than a PDF file

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:25:52 +0000

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BY KEVIN RHOADES
This article is the second installment of a three-part series about e-books. The first article, “Make money on the e-book gravy train,” appeared in the December 2011 issue of Outdoors Unlimited. In part three, the author will talk about creating an online presence for your e-book.
If you’re thinking about jumping on the e-book gravy train to earn extra dollars from previously published print books, the following should shed light on popular e-book file formats and commonly-used digital book readers — and what to do with the files once created. A quick Google search reveals more than 50 e-book file formats, but those most commonly used by the plethora of reading devices include PDF, mobi and epub. All that is necessary to read a PDF is a computer and PDF-reading software such as Adobe Acrobat or Foxit Reader, then you’re off and reading a PDF-version of “A Chukar’s Hunting Companion” or “Billy Barnstorm – The Birch Lake Bomber.” Mobi and epub, however, are better suited for devices that offer users a dynamic reading experience, e-readers such as Barnes & Noble’s Nook, Apple’s iPad or Amazon’s Kindle.
Most of us are familiar with the old-standby PDF, the Portable Document Format created by Adobe Systems, which is the de facto standard for outdoor communicators exchanging manuscripts and photos throughout cyberspace. Although it’s a snap to create a PDF from your print book and call it an e-book, and try to sell it from your website, the PDF as an e-book can provide an annoying experience for seasoned Nook, iPad and Kindle users because these devices allow users to alter font size and styles and adjust line spacing. Since text automatically reflows in e-readers, there is no need for page numbers, headers, footers or margins as found in PDF books created from print books without e-reader customization.
Book-layout applications InDesign and QuarkXPress can export print books to epub files, but re-design is necessary to optimize the e-book experience. The epub is used by Nook and Apple devices whereas a mobi file is preferred for Kindle.
There are layout considerations for converting print books to their electronic cousins. “Front matter” found in print books — the dedication, acknowledgements, and copyright page — are often placed at the rear of an e-book. We typically start an e-book with a cover photo, then an author-title page followed by a table of contents with each heading hyperlinked to its respective chapter. We include lead-off chapter illustrations or photos. However, illustrations or photos other than lead-off are typically deleted when designing an e-book, unless the illustration, art or photo directly helps the reader understand what is being read. With e-books, much consideration is given to minimizing file size while maximizing the reading experience. Bottom line: text is king since your book might be read on devices as small as smartphones with screens that measure only a few inches wide.
E-books should have an International Standard Book Number unless you plan to sell your book only from your website. Although the Kindle does not require an ISBN, we recommend one because the ISBN is sort of like a Social Security Number for your book; your ISBN is unique for your book and identifies yours among millions. Bowker, issuer of ISBNs, requires e-books to have different ISBNs than their print counterparts, even if the content is identical. Rule: Different format, different ISBN.
After you have successfully created and tested your e-book files with software provided by giant online retailers, the next step is to create an electronic billboard via Author Central on Amazon, for example, so the world can read about you and your book. Prospective buyers can preview a chapter before deciding to click the “BUY” button.
Next time I’ll cover creating an online presence with these online bookseller giants — Kindle Direct Publishing, Barnes & Noble PubIt and Apple’s iBookstore.
—Kevin Rhoades, www.KevinRhoades.com, specializes in book layout, newsletter design and websites for outdoor communicators. His first book, “Stalker of the Wild – Days in the Life of Wildlife Filmmaker Bob Landis,” won a first place award in the biography category of Dan Poynter’s 2011 Global eBook Award.
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Educator uses photography to connect youth with outdoors

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:18:26 +0000

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BY WIL MacALLISTER
The children in the photographs can be seen in forests, fields and on the edge of wetlands with their trusted weapons in hand and ready to shoot. They smile as the shutter on their cameras click, capturing the nature and wildlife that is all around them. Steve Maanum, pointing out the smiles on all of the children’s faces, said they remind him why he does what he does.
Maanum has been an educator in Minnesota since 1973 and incorporates photography into his teaching efforts as a means to help connect children with the natural world around them. He shared a quote from Rachel Carson, a marine biologist best known for her 1962 book, “Silent Spring”: “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.”
Maanum said the quote, which reflects part of the OWAA mission statement, is all about mentoring and using the skills God gave each of us to help others.
“I’d like to see myself as a good nature photographer and writer,” Maanum said, “but the bottom line is – I’m an educator first.”
He said that if somewhere along the way he has helped to make a positive difference in a child’s life by connecting them to nature, then he couldn’t ask for anything more rewarding. Maanum said the selling points of joining OWAA were the mission statement, the friendliness of the staff, and the organization’s focus on assisting young people in becoming outdoor communicators.
Mark Lukes, founding president of the North American Nature Photography Association, said Maanum is full of energy and enthusiasm. Lukes first met Maanum five years ago when Maanum approached NANPA about collaborating on youth education projects. “I was completely impressed with his passion and organization,” Lukes said. “He is a gentleman with honesty and integrity and you can’t help but believe in him.” Lukes added that Maanum truly deserves recognition for his work and accomplishments in education.
Maanum is currently the greater Minnesota project coordinator for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ Digital Photography Bridge to Nature program. The goal of the program is to help stop “Nature Deficit Disorder” in today’s youth by providing workshops for teachers on how to incorporate photography with nature studies into their existing curriculums. The goal set at the start of the program in 2010 was to train 1,000 teachers within two years. The project has exceeded this goal, having trained 1,026 teachers in 14 months. Maanum is also part of Through the Lens of a Camera, a predecessor and partial model for the state project, aimed at training non-formal educators such as 4-H staff and youth leaders of after-school programs.
Maanum’s journalism background has been primarily writing for newspapers and magazines. He is currently writing “My Endless Childhood,” a monthly column for The Midwest Boomers, published by The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. He wrote a weekly outdoor column for the Park Rapids Enterprise called “From Backyards to Backwoods” and has also produced two half-hour television episodes for Lakeland Public Television, a Minnesota PBS branch, called “Getting In Touch With Nature.”
Jim Mallman, president of Watchable Wildlife, said one thing that always comes through when interacting with Maanum is that he’s extremely caring.
“He finds the good in everybody and finds the good in every day,” Mallman said.
Maanum was born and raised in Minnesota and attributes his passion for nature and photography to three mentors he had while growing up. The first was his father who introduced him to hunting and fishing at an early age. The second was his step-grandfather who provided him with his first camera training at the age of 12.
The third was his scout leader who was a local professional photographer who nurtured Maanum’s nature studies as well as photography interests.
In 1972, Maanum graduated from Bemidji State University with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a minor in speech and language arts. He then taught from 1973-2007; the majority of that time was spent teaching fifth grade in Park Rapids, Minn. Maanum said the hardest letter he ever had to write was his resignation for retirement. He chose to retire after 34 years to pursue the Digital Bridge projects and work as a freelance writer and photographer. Maanum also has several book manuscripts, one of which is a children’s chapter book he is hoping to publish in the near future.
Maanum currently resides with his wife, Deb, in Minnesota. They have two children, Carrie and Scott, a first-grade teacher and a doctor, respectively, and five grandchildren.
—Born and raised in New Hampshire, Wil MacAllister has been in Montana for five years while completing his bachelor’s degree in journalism. He was the 2011 fall semester intern at OWAA headquarters
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DOI moves forward with solar siting plan

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:08:49 +0000

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BY JODI STEMLER
The Department of the Interior continues to move forward with its efforts to streamline the siting process for solar energy development on federal public lands. On Oct. 27, the DOI and Bureau of Land Management released a supplement to the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for Solar Energy Development. When finalized, the plan will guide siting decisions on BLM lands, grouping the development into solar energy zones. The revision makes several improvements to the original plan that was released in December 2010, but sportsmen at a November forum on solar energy raised continued concern about site-specific effects from industrial solar development.
“Sportsmen support domestic energy development, and we want to make sure that as we move forward with renewable energy, we don’t repeat the same mistakes we made with oil and gas development,” said Brad Powell, energy director at Trout Unlimited and a speaker at the forum. “We are particularly concerned with how the BLM will mitigate the conversion of large pieces of public lands to single, utility-scale solar farms that will affect fish, wildlife, and sportsmen values.”
According to the BLM, the impact statement is intended to “[assess] environmental, social, and economic impacts associated with the development and implementation of agency-specific programs that would facilitate environmentally responsible utility-scale solar energy development in [Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Utah].”
The recent supplement to the impact statement reduced the overall solar energy zones from 24 to 17, reducing the potentially impacted acreage within the zones from 677,000 to about 285,000 acres. The supplement outlines a description of the process for identifying zones, including an analysis of transmission availability and potential resource conflicts; zones were refined or removed due to development constraints or serious resource conflicts. In addition, the supplement describes incentives for developers to site projects in solar energy zones — including greater certainty and shorter permitting times — but still allows for a variance process for siting of the zones.
In an effort to develop a dialog among hunters and anglers, state and federal agencies, and industry officials, the Sportsmen for Responsible Energy Development coalition hosted the Sportsmen Speak on Solar forum in Las Vegas in late November 2011. The forum drew hunters and anglers concerned about the impacts to fish and game habitat and sportsmen’s access to public lands as utility-scale solar energy is developed.
Led by the National Wildlife Federation, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and Trout Unlimited, the SFRED coalition is comprised of more than 500 businesses, organizations and individuals dedicated to conserving irreplaceable habitats so future generations can hunt and fish on America’s public lands. Visit www.sportsmen4responsibleenergy.org for more information.
“The economic power associated with protecting landscapes is compelling, and no one understands that better than sportsmen,” said DOI Deputy Secretary David Hayes in remarks at the forum. “Renewable energy development is a key part of the future of the world’s energy economy, but we recognize the importance of developing solar energy resources and practicing conservation simultaneously. That’s why for the first time we have produced a blueprint for landscape-level planning that will help facilitate smarter siting of solar energy projects – laying a solid foundation for an enduring, sustainable solar energy future for our nation.”
Representatives of SFRED and other sportsmen’s groups urged federal officials to consider the effects of solar facilities on a landscape scale and to safeguard fish and wildlife habitat.
“Wildlife conservation needs to be elevated to the same level of importance that other land uses have received,” said Vernon C. Bleich, senior conservation scientist with the Eastern Sierra Center for Applied Population Ecology and a speaker at the sportsmen’s forum. “Good hunting is a by-product of good conservation, and we need to speak with a united voice in our future outreach efforts.”
The comment period for the current version of the PEIS is open until late January. It can be found online at: http://solareis.anl.gov.

MULTIMEDIA

Watch a 3-minute YouTube video from the forum: http://tinyurl.com/7v4dvms.
—Residing in Denver, Colo., Jodi Stemler is a consultant specializing in fish and wildlife policy communications. She is also the chair of OWAA’s National Affairs
and Environment Committee. Contact her at jodi@stemler-consulting.com.
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Photography opportunities abound at OWAA Alaska conference

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 17:02:47 +0000

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BY CHRISTOPHER BATIN
Photographers as well as feature story writers will delight in the pre- and post-conference photography opportunities available throughout Alaska in late August and early September.
Here are my recommendations:
While there are ample autumn colors in mid-to late August, how long the leaves remain on the trees depends on autumn storms. In my opinion, the best time for photos, in all areas except the Far North, is immediately after the conference until mid-September, when autumn windstorms strip the trees of their leaves.
After conference, I strongly recommend a drive south along the Alaska road system. One route I recommend is to drive the Richardson Highway from Fairbanks down to Valdez. My favorite fall scenery is along the Glenn Highway, from Glennallen to Palmer. And of course, there is the magnificent stretch along the Parks Highway, between Wasilla and Fairbanks, with occasional views of Denali in all its splendor. My favorite autumn photography with Denali in all its glory is on the Parks Highway from Talkeetna north, unless, of course, you are able to travel to Wonder Lake within Denali National Park.
For wildlife photography, there will be a Denali National Park wildlife photography trip and details are now available at www.owaa.org/2012conference/pre-and-post-conference-trips. Brooks Camp is on the fringe of 5 million acres of what is known as Katmai Country. This area is home to some of the best brown bear viewing and photography in the world.
At mid-day, head out to one of three bear-viewing platforms and photograph brown bears. The best time to photograph numbers of bears at Brooks Falls is July and September, where one can see as many as 50 bears at a time. Fewer bears are present in June and August. Other superb bear photography locations exist, especially on salmon streams statewide.

AURORA PHOTOGRAPHY

Chena Hot Springs is a great place for northern lights photography, but some members might want to consider a trip farther north, to position themselves under the aurora band.
“We have been told by photographers that Bettles is the best place worldwide they have found for aurora photography,” says Jamie Klaes with Bettles Lodge. “The intensity of the lights here needs to be seen to be believed.”
Bettles is located about an hour’s flight via bush plane north of Fairbanks and is centered directly under the aurora band, which is an oval area of high aurora activity that spans the top of the world. Because of the near equal amount of day and night hours in September, photographers should plan an aurora photo shoot in addition to other activities to maximize the time afield.
For those who want an expedition-type of photo safari, Artic Treks is offering two spots on their 2012 trips. One is a caribou migration camp, which is a spectacle unlike anything on earth. The polar bear photo safari to the Kaktovik-Barter Island area includes some unique photo backdrops. Spend up to two hours with a licensed boat captain to photograph bears relaxing on the Barrier Islands and swimming in the intertidal lagoons. One person per trip. A substantial OWAA discount applies.
Whether you drive the road system, or partake in a photo safari, bring plenty of memory cards and be prepared for inclement weather.
For information about booking pre- and post-conference trips, visit www.owaa.org/2012conference/pre-and-post-conference-trips.
—Chris Batin has been a member since 1979. He is the 2012 conference local chair. He is also editor and publisher of Alaska Angler, and Alaska Hunter Productions and Video Productions. Contact him at ChrisBatin@AlaskaAngler.com.
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Letters to the Editor

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:54:24 +0000

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Bring dreams to life via writing

To the good folks at OU, and all its dedicated readers,
As I begin writing to you today, the first signs of snow are quietly tumbling down around me. It’s a crisp negative 5 C and the sun is just beginning to creep through the trees. A perfect morning for being in the tree stand watching for whitetails.
For those of you who receive the NASOW newsletter from Roger Brunt, you may have read here and there about a trip I have recently returned from, trekking across Australia.
I spent six months wandering around the country in search of adventure and new experiences, and found no shortage by any means. While travelling, I managed to have my first pieces publish — being new to the outdoor writing world this was thrilling. Since May I have had five feature pieces published with a newspaper, with number six on the way, all including my own photography.
I was shocked upon returning to my hometown by the overwhelming response that had been generated from the stories. I discovered that not only had I shared my tales and adventures with people, but had become to some, an outlet, a resource that allowed them to live vicariously through my adventures.
It became apparent while travelling, just how full the world is of people who hold incredible dreams, so many of them very achievable. But the number of people that hold such dreams, but have been completely convinced that they are unattainable is shocking. Someone or something in society has given them this idea. I for one, believe there is always a way to bring our dreams to life. Somehow, unknowing at the time, I brought people’s dreams and ambitions into perspective and allowed people to feel as though they were sharing their dreams as I shared them mine.
To me that is a big part of what it means to be a part of organizations like the OWAA and OWC, and to be an outdoor writer.
Sitting here in my tree stand reflecting on the past six months of my life I realize that I have accomplished something amazing. Going from reading stories and real life accounts of amazing outdoor expeditions and adventures, and feeling that I am almost a part of that experience, to being the one to share my adventures with someone else and have them feel that same feeling, I will mark as one of my biggest life accomplishments.
I would like to thank all of the members of our outdoor community for inspiring me, and in turn, inspiring others through my life.
Please feel free to stop by my trip blog and read up on a few of my adventures from the land down under: www.adventure-quade.blogspot.com
— Philip Quade, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Giving back to OWAA

Just before tax day OWAA will celebrate its 85th anniversary. We’ve been helping communicators for nearly a century.
These are challenging times for nonprofits and for profits. OWAA is not alone in suffering a tight budget. I recently made a tax deductible contribution of $3/year to thank OWAA for helping me as a communicator during my 29 years of membership. I encourage all members to also make a contribution to any of OWAA’s funds.
— Rich Patterson, 2007-08 OWAA President, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Feedback guidelines

Members are encouraged to write about issues and topics. The executive director and editor will decide whether opinions are appropriate for debate or if the comments promote a personal cause; if the “cause” is unrelated to OWAA’s mission and potentially damaging to the membership, the letter might not be printed. Word limit: 400. Longer letters will be returned for revision. Send letters to editor@owaa.org.

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Cheers to 85 years

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:46:32 +0000

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BY ROBIN GINER
As winter’s grasp began to tighten on a weekend in mid-November, OWAA members Jason Jenkins, Matt Miller, Mike Walker, Paul Queneau, Brett Prettyman, Katie McKalip, Lisa Densmore, Mark Freeman and Mark Taylor joined OWAA staff at headquarters in Missoula, Mont., for an intensive weekend of strategic planning. The committee engineered a plan to take our organization through 2015, and into the final stretch toward 100 years of existence.
A final draft of the 2012-15 strategic plan will be handed off to the full Board of Directors for passage at the Feb. 11 winter board meeting. Pending approval, the details of the plan will be printed in the March edition of Outdoors Unlimited.
What astonishes me about this feat is that this particular weekend planning workshop fell in the middle of hunting season, the holy grail of many a member’s year. It was also the weekend before Thanksgiving, when they could be focusing their much-deserved attention at home with family. Instead, these OWAA members gathered from near and far to take a vested interest in the future of our organization.
But this crew of individuals is not alone. In fact, they come from a long line of volunteers that have seen this organization through our winding course in history.
In 1927, the year OWAA was “born,” The Jazz Singer became the first “talkie” film on the big screen, thus ending the reign of silent films. The Holland Tunnel opened, spanning the depths of the Hudson River. Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo trans-Atlantic flight by piloting The Spirit of St. Louis, nonstop, from New York City to Paris. And Gutzon Borglum began work on a stone monument to U.S. past presidents in the Black Hills of South Dakota called Mount Rushmore.
OWAA has had 57 presidents (plus one current) during the past 85 years since that fateful day in Chicago in 1927. Morris Ackerman and J. Hammond Brown both served multiple year terms as President. Ackerman served as president from the organization’s inception through 1929. Brown served from 1941-1946 and again from 1947-1956, also serving as the first executive director, from 1945-1955.
Ackerman, along with the other original members of OWAA, had a vision for this organization. A picture of what they wanted the Outdoor Writers Association of America to be some day. While times have changed, and today’s world would be inconceivable to Ackerman and his contemporaries, their idea — OWAA — continues on, as detailed in OWAA’s mission:
“Improving the professional skills of our members, setting the highest ethical and communications standards, encouraging public enjoyment and conservation of natural resources,and mentoring the next generation of professional outdoor communicators.”
If you’ve never done so, I encourage you to read one of OWAA’s history books, available at www.owaa.org/store. They’re a year-by-year historical account of the organization from 1927 through the early 1990s. Admittedly, there’s a lot of work needed to bring a book up to date and into the 21st century, but they still offer an entertaining and insightful look at the innovation of one group of men and the national organization their dedication founded.
Happy New Year! Welcome to 2012 — and OWAA’s 85th anniversary!
—OWAA Executive Director Robin Giner, rginer@owaa.org.
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New beginnings

OWAA staff — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:00:47 +0000

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BY MIKE WALKER
I’ve received several calls, all wanting to know “the story” about OWAA’s budget. The story of course, is how much of a shortfall are we going to have in our budget and should they continue their membership?
If you’ve yet to renew your dues for 2012, you absolutely should be a member. Despite a tight budget, we don’t plan to cut member or supporter benefits.
Like many other associations, OWAA has been hit hard financially. However, unlike a lot of other groups, we have a board that cares and is willing to work to fix things. We remain the largest association of outdoor communicators and continue to add new members every month. The other question was about the amount of our shortfall. The 2012 budget is being developed now and we will have more concrete information available after the board meeting next month.
I hope you choose to stick around. Here’s why. We a have solid base with some of the most familiar names in the industry. We all can learn from them. I have heard several say they don’t need OWAA anymore. Care to bet?
Do you think that the quarterbacks on the competing Super Bowl teams don’t practice anymore? Of course they do, right up to the morning of the big game. Plus, they study their plays on the way to the game. The same goes for the other positions: linemen, coaches, even the referees. Why do they practice? They want to win and they don’t have any more than a split second to make decisions that are worth thousands of dollars to themselves and teammates.
So next time you question the value of your OWAA membership, remember the Super Bowl quarterbacks. Your situation is not really all that different.
What does a professional communicator stand to gain by attending OWAA’s annual conference? Here’s a personal example. Wade Bourne once gave a seminar on radio at a different conference. It was brilliant and I came away with practical ideas to do a radio program. Today, we produce two profitable daily radio programs. Had I not attended that seminar, would I have come up with the idea for doing radio? Probably not.
At another conference, Tom Huggler spoke of writing books and publishing them. I haven’t done one… yet. But Tim Tucker and I put together a seminar booklet on finding sponsors for bass pros. For a little effort, we generated a healthy profit. I’ve also written a booklet on promoting tournaments for a client.
You will miss every opportunity you don’t take. Your next money-making project just might be waiting on you at the next OWAA conference.
I attended the strategic planning committee meeting in November. I’ve been to a number of such meetings and this one is the first to bear fruit. It was held at headquarters in Missoula — OMG was it cold. With wind chill, it never felt warmer than 10 degrees. Of course, everyone picked on me for being a desert dweller who couldn’t handle the cold and wind. It might have been cold and windy outside, but inside it was hot and heavy, an excellent meeting with real results.
Robin Giner, our executive director, put together a great agenda to follow. We came away with five goals, including a fundraising project and membership campaign. These are doable.
Goal 1: By 2013 establish an OWAA brand with a clearly defined marketing campaign.
Goal 2: By 2015, OWAA will stop membership decline and begin to increase membership. Stopping membership decline in 2012, and increasing net membership membership numbers by a rate of 1 percent in 2013, 3 pecent in 2014 and 5 percent in 2015 will accomplish this.
Goal 3: Retain membership at 85 percent renewal beginning in 2012.
Goal 4: Reach attendance goals for each conference.
Goal 5: By 2015, donations and new grants will average $15,000 annually.
Under each goal, the committee outlined methodology and tools to use. But I am going to leave those details to committee members to write about in Outdoors Unlimited once the plan has been approved by the board.
These new beginnings bode well for OWAA, aren’t pie-in-the-sky, but very doable. I invite you to pitch in and lend a hand to help other volunteers build a better OWAA.
— OWAA President Mike Walker, mike@walkeragency.com
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