June 2011
Education Coordinator
Shawn Johnson
Greetings Trappers,
MTA's Education Program has been busy at work across the state. On my end beginning with the
Deer Classic held in nearby Duluth back in February things got off to a great start for the year.
The event was very well attended and thanks to a plentiful supply of furs from the Tanned Fur
Project for Education supplied by our own TFP Director Tim Caven more than three thousand
dollars worth of fur was sold to the public to assist funding our Education projects. Premium furs
of foxes and exotics such as wolves were the greatest attention getters. I encourage everyone to
consider donating a fine fur or two to this project. Pelts with feet and claws attached are most
desired but any quality donation is much appreciated. Please take the opportunity to check out
the fur donation lists and note the consistent generosity of many of your fellow MTA members.
Conservation Officer donations also make a significant contribution to our project as well.
Although confiscated furs cannot be offered for sale, these animals are included in traveling fur
collections and permanent placement collections donated to schools and other worthy institutions
across the state. Please take advantage of any opportunity to thank these C.O.'s for their
continued and expanding support of this worthwhile program.
Thanks go out to Bert Highland, Frank Brula, Gary Jorgensen, Jim Tonkin, Scott Waldorf, Dan
Croke, Bill Brown and Dale Torma for sharing the booth duties at the Deer Classic contributing
so much to the overall success of this event.
Shawn's Trapper Education Classes
Thanks in part to the positive exposure MTA received during the Deer Classic, my spring trapper
education class had the largest attendance to date with 43 students. Four made the trip from over
one hundred twenty miles away to attend the four two hour classroom sessions alone! That kind
of commitment is impressive.
The first of two field days were held on April 16th for twenty-nine students and that morning we
were greeted with four inches of heavy, wet and sloppy spring snow just to keep things
interesting. Water trapping demos were held at a nearby beaver pond while the dry sets (I'm
using that term loosely due to the snow saturation) were made at my residence along with
skinning and basic fur handling for beavers and case skinned animals. Thanks to C.O. Ter Meer
for providing confiscated animals for skinning demonstrations and ultimate donation to the
Tanned Fur Project for Education. Chaos was avoided for the most part during the fieldwork
through the assistance of Paul Zieroth and Jim Tonkin who provided instruction as well on a
shift-rotating basis throughout the day. I am deeply indebted to them for joining the team not to
mention my appreciation for the hard work of my smiling wife Linda. In keeping with her
reputation as a "civilized hostess", she had prepared in advance hotdogs, chips, cupcakes and hot
chocolate for the soggy apparently starving students that piled into our home between afternoon
instruction "shifts."
Needless to say it was a busy but thoroughly enjoyable experience once again.
Instructors and Youth Photo Contest
Thanks go out to others across the state that hosted trapper education courses as well so far this
year- your dedication makes this whole program succeed.
I'd also like to thank Vance Walgrave from Luverne MN for once again donating the funding
that makes the Youth Photo Contest held each year at the summer convention such a success.
Your continued support of young people within our Association is most appreciated.
Envirothon
The next MTA event on my agenda is the Minnesota State Envirothon being held May 16th at
Spirit Mountain Recreation Area near Duluth. The Envirothon is part of North America's largest
outdoor environmental learning competition. Teams will compete for the state title and the right
to represent the State of Minnesota to the rest of the world. The top three state teams will
compete for the title to represent the state of Minnesota in the National Competition which will
be host teams from throughout the United States and Canada.
Teams compete in their knowledge of forestry, soils, wildlife, and aquatic wetlands as well as
natural resource- current events knowledge. The MTA is proud to sponsor last year's state
championship team from Rushford/Peterson standing behind our belief in the necessity of
investing in the education of our young people about the natural world around them.
For more information on the competition check out the website. www.mnenvirothon.org
Adventure Camp at North Woods Camp Finlayson MN .
I was invited to participate in the upcoming Jamboree Adventure Camp for youth held at the
North Woods Camp on Elbow Lake near Finlayson MN this year by Doug Sandstrom fellow
MTA member from Longville as well as a retired Minnesota Conservation Officer and Regional
Training Officer to boot. These camps are sponsored by the Salvation Army Youth Division
which provides young people that generally wouldn't have the opportunity otherwise to
experience outdoor activities such as archery, boating/canoeing, wildlife, shooting sports, hiking
and woods knowledge in a controlled and safe environment. This year the sport of fur trapping
will be added to the rotations as I have been asked to assist instructing a mammals course as well
as manning an MTA information booth on July 15th.
This particular camping event goes from July 11-17 which will provide a unique opportunity to
showcase our sport and to share woods knowledge gathered along the way to potentially
thousands of young people at this event.
Several sporting organizations such as Safari Club International (SCI), Whitetails Unlimited
(WU) and the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) along with the MN DNR offer clinics as well as
field trips to introduce the outdoors to young people. For additional information on this
worthwhile
program
check
out
the
classes
offered
at
http://www.usc.salvationarmy.org/usc/www_usc_jamboree or contact me by email for a
electronic copy.
Youth Event Ft. Ripley/ MEA Conference
An event sponsored by the United States Sportsmen's Alliance (USSA) will be held in Ft. Ripley
on the first Saturday in June (4) and the event will run roughly from 8 AM- 4 PM. Former
Education Director Deb Offerdahl has offered to work the MTA booth as much as she can but
she has additional obligations for USSA as well and would really appreciate the assistance of up
to a half dozen trappers to help cover the MTA Booth at various times. If you could be of
assistance please contact Deb directly at 320-983-6023. Deb and my wife Linda will also be
representing MTA at this summer's annual Minnesota Education Association (MEA) get together
in the Twin Cities to help promote our sport in the schools.
My personal thanks go out to all who represent the MTA in a positive light to the public. If
anyone is interested in assisting in any of the events listed please contact me.
Your contributions are essential to our future existence!
Keep your skinning knives sharp,
Shawn