Writer: Steve Byrns, 325-653-4576, [email protected]

Contacts: Dr. Dale Rollins, 325-653-4576, [email protected]
Helen Holdsworth, 855-TXBRIGS (855-892-7447), [email protected]

SAN ANGELO – Registration has begun for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s Texas Brigades summer wildlife leadership camps, said Dr. Dale Rollins, the camps’ coordinator.

“This summer marks 23 years that the camps have been honing young leaders through the Texas Brigades curriculum,” Rollins said. “That’s the whole goal of the camps, to give young people the confidence and skills needed to assume professional leadership roles in the future.

“And while our camps feature quail, deer, bass, ducks and livestock, the aim is to equip young people with the resources and determination needed to really make a difference in wildlife conservation and proper land management throughout their lives.”

Rollins said all the camps held at various locations across the state share the focus of teaching youth leadership skills, natural resources conservation and proper ranch management. Each camp is limited to 20-30 students ages 13 through 17.

“The camps are designed to develop such life skills as critical thinking and team building through fun and interesting activities surrounding the particular camp’s species of wildlife or livestock,” Rollins said.

Ike Garcia, the Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade’s Top Cadet-2014 from Italy, Texas had this to say about his Brigade experience: “The program is more than a camp to me; it’s a huge part of my life. It is paving my road and the roads of many others.”

Micayla Pearson of La Vernia attended the South Texas Bobwhite Brigade in 2013 and returned to participate in the South Texas Buckskin Brigade in 2014. She said: “The Brigades have not only provided me educational opportunities, they also developed a skill set, which has enabled me to do things I never believed I would do. I’m thankful for the skills that will make me a better college applicant and a more marketable job candidate, but mostly a better steward of the land.”

The camp dates and locations are:

– Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade, June 13-17, Centennial Lodge, Coleman.

– South Texas Buckskin Brigade, June 14-18, Southern Star Ranch, Uvalde.

– South Texas Bobwhite Brigade, June 26-30, Buck Horn Creek Ranch, McCoy.

– Bass Brigade, July 7-11, Warren Ranch, Santa Anna.

– Ranch Brigade, July 14-18, Warren Ranch.

– North Texas Buckskin Brigade, July 19-23, Warren Ranch.

– Waterfowl Brigade, July 19-23, Big Woods on the Trinity, Tennessee Colony.

The camps are a partnership effort of AgriLife Extension, Texas Wildlife Association, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, several universities, conservation groups, local soil and water conservation districts, private businesses, and individuals with an interest in wildlife and youth leadership development.

Tuition is $400 per cadet per camp, but sponsors are available to provide financial aid when requested, Rollins said.

Helen Holdsworth, Texas Brigades executive director at San Antonio, said camp organizers are looking for adult leaders to help at all the camps. She said adults interested in working with the Brigades program should be highly motivated, preferably over 20 years old and willing to serve as “covey,” “school,” “herd,” or “flock” leaders.

Brad Kubecka, a senior at Tarleton State University, Stephenville, served as a Covey Leader for the Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade in 2013 and the experience made a lasting impression.

“The Texas Brigades are more than a just a collection of summer camps; they are a life-changing experience,” Kubecka said. “That may sound like a cliché, but I have seen the product of Brigades ‘cadets’ at both an academic and professional level. Those students who embrace the Texas Brigades are motivated, dedicated, and achieved.”

Applications may be completed online or downloaded at http://www.texasbrigades.org  . For more information, contact Holdsworth at [email protected] or Zelina Alvarado at  [email protected]  or call 855-TXBRIGS (855-892-7447).

Registration deadline is March 16, Rollins said.


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