Unprecedented Mission Impact, Year-Long Celebration Begins
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — With the new year officially ushering in the NWTF’s 50th anniversary year, the organization’s staff, volunteers, members and the entire outdoor community will be celebrating the milestone throughout the year, all while working to accomplish new and ambitious mission-impact goals the organization has set before itself for its golden anniversary.
“2023 is as much a celebration as it is a challenge to prepare our organization for the next 50 years of conservation success,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said. “For how much there is to celebrate, there is work that needs to be done to ensure the wild turkey and our hunting heritage live into perpetuity. This is a time for the NWTF to harness our love of the wild turkey and outdoor lifestyle, and use it to deliver our mission on an unprecedented level. We are more excited than ever to get to work and look forward to you joining us.”
2023 will be a year of looking back with immense gratitude and reflecting on an incredible conservation legacy the NWTF’s founders and volunteers have set in motion. However, 2023 will also be a year of unprecedented conservation delivery during a time when wild turkeys and sportsmen and women need it the most.
As the NWTF emerges from five decades of conservation success, its employees, members and volunteers continue to drive forward into a new era. There are still many challenges ahead. Wildlife habitat is degrading across the country at an alarming rate; wild turkey populations are declining in numerous regions; and catastrophic wildfire is making it harder for sportsmen and women to get afield, while also devastating wildlife habitat and threatening local communities and industries.
As the NWTF prepares for the next 50 years, the organization will always stay true to its mission to conserve the wild turkey and preserve our hunting heritage; however, it is extending the scope of its work to address the increasing challenges sportsmen, wildlife and wild places experience today.
To accomplish this, the NWTF has set lofty goals to accomplish in 2023 that ensure the organization can deliver its mission for generations to come, including but not limited to:
- Attain 250,000 new adult members.
- Raise $500,000 for wild turkey research.
- Positively impact 1 million acres.
- Dedicate $1 million to its Education and Outreach Programs.
While NWTF chapters, members, staff and volunteers will be celebrating with new and exciting events all year long, the NWTF’s official 50-year celebration at the National Convention and Sport Show in Nashville is a once-in-a-lifetime event not to be missed. Learn how you can book your trip to the celebration here.
Additionally, the NWTF is urging those who treasure the wild turkey and the outdoor lifestyle to get involved and help make its 50th anniversary as much of a transformational year as it will be a celebration.
From becoming a member to a volunteer, there are many ways you can get involved in the year of celebration. Learn more here.
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 conserved or enhanced over 22 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The organization continues to drive wildlife conservation, forest resiliency and robust recreational opportunities throughout the U.S. by working across boundaries on a landscape scale.
2023 is the NWTF's 50th anniversary and an opportunity to propel the organization's mission into the future while honoring its rich history. For its 50-year celebration, the NWTF has set six ambitious goals: positively impact 1 million acres of wildlife habitat; raise $500,000 for wild turkey research; increase membership to 250,000 members; dedicate $1 million to education and outreach programs; raise $5 million to invest in technology and the NWTF's people; and raise $5 million to build toward a $50 million endowment for the future. Learn how you can help us reach these lofty goals.