July-August 2008

Welcome from Larry Schweiger

Welcome to Wildlife Leader, the electronic newsletter for National Wildlife Federation's affiliates.  Some of you may remember the print newsletter The Leader, which was circulated during the1980s and early '90s. We have recreated that publication and converted it into an online form.  This newsletter is a bimonthly publication designed to provide regular updates on National Wildlife Federation and affiliate activities, news, action opportunities, events, and more.  We hope this publication will advance the partnership between NWF and its affiliates and strengthen our conservation network through communication. 

-Larry Schweiger

 Affiliate Spotlight: Welcome Earth Conservation Corps

The National Wildlife Federation is proud and honored to welcome the Earth Conservation Corps (ECC) to our family of affiliates.  ECC is based in Washington, D.C. and their mission is to "empower our endangered youth to reclaim the Anacostia River, their communities, and their lives."  Founded in 1989 by Bob Nixon, an award-winning film director and producer, the ECC gives young adults in the D.C. community of Anacostia a unique opportunity to improve their lives and make a significant impact on their neighborhood and the surrounding environment.  Living in neighborhoods with excessive crime rates and low expectations for its youth, ECC participants roll up their sleeves and work hard to make improvements.  ECC has built an impressive resume of community service projects that include: reintroducing sixteen bald eagels back into nat ural areas around the Anacostia River, fighting against a current of waste and pollution to clean up the Anacostia River, and establishing nature centers and parks that not only improve the surrounding communities but also provide outdoor classrooms for school children.  Learn more about ECC by visiting the CBS News website and reading a transcript or watching the video of the 60 Minutes piece on "Saving a River and Teens".

NWF Annual Meeting 2008

The NWF's 72nd Annual Meeting took place from May 14 - 17 at the Keystone Resort and Conference Center in Keystone, Colorado.  This year's theme was Wildlife Conservation: Meeting the Challenges in the 21st Century.  Speakers at the meeting's General Sessions broadcasted a potent message of the conservation challenges we currently face, the challenges yet to come, and the great opportunities for future solutions.  We learned about our newest affiliate, the Earth Conservation Corps, during the Affiliate Leaders Luncheon. Delegates discussed and voted on the 2008 proposed resolutions during committee meetings and the Resolutions General Session.  Affiliates participated in collaborative workshops with presentation topics that had a strong undercurrent of conservation issues in the West but also resonated on a national scale.  Saturda y's restoration project field trips gave volunteers hands-on experience with challenges facing the outdoors in Colorado and many states throughout the West.  The Awards Dinner on Saturday night honored the outstanding efforts of individuals and organizations for their stalwart commitment to conservation on behalf of the future of wildlife, our future and our children's future.  Special congratulations to: Peter Brann, Affiliate Volunteer of the Year for his pro bono work representing Natural Resources Council of Maine; Andy McDaniels, former Executive Director of Oklahoma Wildlife Federation and Charlie Shaw Conservation Partnership Award winner; and Conservation Federation of Missouri, our Affiliate of the Year.

Please visit the Annual Meeting: Highlights page on the Affiliate Partnership Center to view Annual Meeting minutes, final resolutions booklet, workshop materials, photo albums and more.

 CALENDAR