OutdoorNebraska

2017 Annual Report 29 A S S E S S M E N T O F H U N T E R S , A N G L E R S A N D O P P O R T U N I T I E S T H R O U G H P U B L I C A C C E S S To ensure future participation in hunting and fi shing in Nebraska, we need to understand how hunters and anglers use Nebraska's fi sh and wildlife resources, how they perceive outdoor opportunities, and what kinds of activities they are participating in at diff erent stages of life. ● Understanding Buyer Behavior – The agency has partnered with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to better understand customer purchase trends by activity, age groups, gender and more. Game and Parks is studying when people may lapse in hunting and fi shing due to a variety of reasons. We also will use the research to identify opportunities that would have a positive impact on the recruitment and retention of hunters and anglers, which might include social programs, customer-friendly purchase options, and access to mentors. ● Improving Hunting Access – We also joined the Nebraska Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit to conduct more than 3,500 hunter surveys on 600 sites to gauge participation on public land and private lands enrolled in the Open Fields and Waters Program. Over a three-year period, hunters were surveyed about relative use, satisfaction and harvest rates. The surveys showed that management and placement of access appears to aff ect people's participation and overall satisfaction. We will use insights gained from the surveys to improve access and opportunities, helping ensure hunters have quality places to hunt. P R O J E C T W I L D B R I N G S C O N S E R V A T I O N E D U C A T I O N T O S C H O O L S A C R O S S N E B R A S K A Project WILD is a national conservation education program administered in Nebraska by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Through educator workshops, Project WILD, Aquatic WILD and its early childhood education counterpart Growing Up WILD, helps teachers to incorporate conservation and wildlife education into their classrooms. Additionally, this state-wide program provides Nebraska-specifi c curriculum and education materials for students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. In 2017, Game and Parks held 41 Project WILD and Growing Up WILD workshops and trained 777 teachers across the state. Additionally, Growing Up WILD was adopted as a district- mandated part of the Kindergarten through second-grade science curriculum in Lincoln Public Schools. Through Lincoln Public Schools alone, Growing Up WILD reaches approximately 9,000 students annually. Additionally, the Nebraska Project WILD Program is working with the Nebraska Department of Education to help Nebraska's growing community of afterschool programs incorporate conservation and natural resource curriculum into their programing. HUNTING A WHEAT STUBBLE FIELD ON OPEN FIELDS AND WATERS PROGRAM LAND.

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