Today, we're in danger of suffering the greatest loss ever
in our efforts to conserve fish and wildlife ... natural habitats ...
natural resources ... and traditional outdoor activities.
We're in danger of losing our most precious resource ...
the next generation that cares.
There are lots of scary statistics ...
a two thousand nine national survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation
found that the amount of time young people spend with entertainment media
continues to rise dramatically.
Our youth are devoting nearly eight hours a day to entertainment media
and "media multi-tasking,"
absorbing up to eleven hours of media content a day.
It's no wonder our kids can recognize more than one thousand corporate logos
but not even ten plants or trees in their own neighborhood.
But it's not too late to fix this!
And here's how...
The Florida Youth Conservation Centers Network, FYCCN,
has gone from being a great idea to an exciting reality.
Thanks to the support and generosity of all of our supporters
who range from private individuals and small communities
to large businesses and non-profit organizations.
The work to safeguard our unique outdoor heritage
by creating the Next Generation That Cares has begun!
"Since I know everyone did nitrate..."
The FYCCN is about more than just giving kids
a chance to spend time outdoors...
It's about adults mentoring them ...
teaching them how to be safe ...
Instructor: "You've always got to have the lifejacket on, OK?"
how to respect nature, and wildlife, and natural habitats
how to participate in the outdoor recreational activities
Florida has to offer.
Instructor: "Take the safety off and call pull when you're ready."
"Pull!" ... It's adults and youngsters working together
to accomplish something positive.
Teacher: " ... Florida. This was America's jungle."
Our Ocala Conservation Center offers youth and their families
a wide variety of activities.
Located on a beautiful 57-acre peninsula
on Lake Eaton in North Central Florida,
boys and girls age 9 to 16 can attend one-week camp sessions
where they enjoy fishing, boating, shooting sports,
and exploring nature trails in the vast Ocala National Forest.
They learn traditional outdoors activities,
firearm safety, wildlife stewardship... and most important,
they learn to love the great outdoors.
We've expanded our scope of activities
and improved our ability to reach more youngsters.
But there is still a lot of work to be done.
So we need your support more than ever.
Get involved. Florida's youth needs us to keep working
to create the Next Generation That Cares.
One of the exciting opportunities is the FYCCN Paddlesport Program.
Kids will learn basic canoe and kayak skills
that will empower them to safely enjoy
Florida's waterways, while developing stewardship ethics
to protect our state's natural resources.
We're recruiting volunteers to be trained and certified
as ACA Level One Kayak and Canoe Instructors.
Volunteers must have paddling experience, be reasonably fit,
and undergo a background check.
In exchange for this low-cost certification training,
volunteers will provide two days of instruction during the summer of 2013.
Interested in becoming a volunteer paddlesport instructor?
Visit MyFWC.com to learn how.
We also welcome contributions to the FYCCN
to purchase paddling equipment and provide scholarships.
Donations can be made at wildlifefoundationofflorida.com/paddling.