Kuhtic Receives National Award for R3 Efforts
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Janice Kuhtic received the Annie Oakley Award, the highest honor given to a Women in the Outdoors volunteer, during the NWTF’s 49th annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show, sponsored by Mossy Oak. Annie Oakley, known best for her shooting skills, also influenced generations of women to try something new.
Kuhtic, current president and committee member for the Thornapple Valley Chapter, was nominated for bolstering the NWTF’s education and outreach events in her state. She is also on the Michigan NWTF State Chapter Board of Directors acting as secretary and as the education and outreach WITO coordinator.
“The Annie Oakley award is an honor I certainly did not anticipate,” Kuhtic said. “The satisfaction I enjoy at the end of an event is reward enough for my efforts, whether it is a chapter banquet, a Women in the Outdoors weekend or a JAKES shooting event. There is a certain excitement with women being outdoors learning something new. There are lives renewed, friendships formed and new skills to take home and practice. I have a tireless committee around me dedicated to our common vision: to enhance women's lives by the life-changing power of the outdoors. And we're not slowing down yet; this was just our first 25 years.”
Kuhtic has organized and helped run WITO events for 25 years. The Thornapple Valley WITO event is an overnight weekend, and it offers events that participants attend throughout the year.
During annual Learn to Hunt weekends or Harvest Festivals, Kuhtic has provided not only
her time but her cooking to welcome new participants into the outdoors.
Kuhtic is an avid turkey hunter and understands the importance of conservation and the preservation of our hunting heritage. She leads family focused events, which have led to many mothers, daughters, sisters, granddaughters and nieces coming to the WITO weekend with their families.
Through these efforts, she is building a sustainable structure for executing these weekends for years to come.
“We are proud to honor Janice with the prestigious Annie Oakley Award,” NWTF co-CEO Kurt Dyroff said. “Just as Annie Oakley did, Janice works to enrich the lives of many women, and she loves doing it. Her many decades of dedicated service to the NWTF’s mission speak volumes. Congrats Janice!”
About the National Wild Turkey Federation.
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 24 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.