UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Spur Collectors club, a collegiate chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation, recently received two L.A. Dixon, Jr. Memorial Outstanding Collegiate Chapter awards at the 47th annual National Wild Turkey Federation Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.
The club received a first-place award for highest membership of all collegiate chapters, as well as second place for highest net earnings, which they collected during their annual spring fundraising banquet.
Scott Kephart, manager of the Poultry Education and Research Center in the College of Agricultural Sciences and the club’s academic adviser, expressed his delight in the club’s success, emphasizing how much they have achieved.
“I am extremely proud of what these young men and women accomplish throughout the year,” Kephart said. “They accomplish as much in eight months as most adult chapters accomplish in 12, all while fielding the responsibilities of full-time students. These are the future leaders of not only National Wild Turkey Federation chapters across the nation, but of conservation efforts to protect natural resources, and I am proud to be a part of their journeys.”
As part of the festivities for the National Wild Turkey Federation’s 50th anniversary, club members attended conservation seminars and wildlife calling competitions, where contestants competed to produce the most realistic live animal calls. The club also met with well-renowned members of the hunting and conservation community.
Established in 2012, the Penn State Spur Collectors club was the first collegiate chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation founded in Pennsylvania and is one of only four existing collegiate chapters in the nation.
General goals of the club include promoting the overall conservation of wild species and habitats, specifically the wild turkey, and encouraging students to get involved with the outdoors.
The club, which is committed to fostering and creating new connections among students interested in the outdoors, offers myriad opportunities for its members, including group hunts, fishing trips, and presentations from biologists and conservation professionals. They also embark on excursions to destinations such as Benezette, where they observe Pennsylvania's elk herd.
Questions about the organization, as well as support for the chapter at the banquet, may be directed to club president Emily Stambaugh at ers5649@psu.edu.