Show Off Your Shooting and Casting Skills!

The 2024 Marksmanship Challenge is a statewide competition held on August 3 for students (K-12) in 5 different categories:

• BB guns
• NASP archery
• 3D archery
• Slingshots
• Casting

Participants will be divided up based on their grade and compete regionally for prizes. A statewide winner will be named based on the regional winners from across Arkansas.

Click one of the locations below to find information on the event. All supplies will be provided. Registration is not required, but a good aim is!

Marksmanship Challenge Locations:

The AGFC Teacher Leader Council is an opportunity for engaging, collaborative and conservation-focused educators to work directly with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Education Division. Selected educators from around the state of Arkansas will work alongside AGFC Education staff and gain access to exciting learning experiences. 

Participation of selected educators in the AGFC Teacher Leader Council will run from July 2024 – June 2025.

The Goals of the AGFC Teacher Leader Council:

• To create a collaborative working opportunity for Arkansas Educators and the AGFC’s Education Division to engage in conservation, environmental and outdoor recreation learning opportunities to serve the students of Arkansas.
• To develop resources that meet the needs of Arkansas educators to assist in teaching conservation education skills and concepts in their classrooms.
• To update and modify existing curriculum and resources to align with Arkansas standards and expectations for instruction. 
• To create an opportunity for teacher leaders to mentor novice teachers, to learn from and with AGFC education staff and to provide feedback on concepts to engage students in conservation education.

Criteria for Nomination:

• The nominee should be a formal educator at any public, private, charter school or early childhood education center. 
• The nominee must be a full-time educator working with students at any grade or age from early childhood through twelfth grade.
• The nominee must have a drive for teaching and incorporating conservation education, environmental education, outdoor recreation skills and concepts into their instruction on a regular basis. 
• The nominee must be able to attend in-person meetings in the Central Arkansas area.
• The nominee must be able to attend virtual meetings. 
• The nominee should possess strong collaboration skills and willingness to provide insight, knowledge and production on projects designed by AGFC Education leadership staff.
• Nominees can be nominated by another individual or nominate themselves.
• Nominations are due June 26, 2024. Selected educators will be announced by Friday, July 1, 2024.

Please reach out to Mary Beth Hatch or JJ Gladden with any questions.

Looking For Conservation In Your Curriculum?

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is committed to inspiring a love of the outdoors and conservation in young Arkansans and is working with schools to foster responsible stewardship of natural resources in the next generation. 

Through our School of Conservation Leadership Program, AGFC is working to increase conservation education, outdoor learning and outdoor recreation opportunities for students in Arkansas and to increase awareness of conservation careers and inspire the next generation of conservation professionals. The Commission has created a designation that recognizes the public, private, charter and early childhood schools that are doing this well. If you’d like your school to be a School of Conservation Leadership, please work with your school’s administration to review the requirements below and complete the Letter of Commitment and return to marybeth.hatch@agfc.ar.gov if your school wants to participate.

Increasing participation in all Arkansas Game and Fish Commission programming at the campus level:

Increase conservation education, outdoor learning, and outdoor recreation opportunities for students in Arkansas

Bring awareness to the role AGFC plays in the Outreach and Commitment to Arkansans through conservation education

Increase awareness of AGFC careers through the development of the next generation of conservation professionals

Recognize schools that are doing this well, create model/mentor schools/programs within the state

Create new opportunities and continue current programming offered by Nature Center staff to support education outreach

Application: Phase 1

Application: Phase 2

Application: Phase 3

Bring The Outdoors Into Your Community

Complete the form below to bring the AGFC to you! Outreach staff will follow up to coordinate a visit. Due to a high level of statewide interest, please allow AGFC as much advanced notice as possible to ensure we can accommodate one of your preferred dates.

Certain popular items like the mobile aquarium have protocols and guidelines. Please review these guidelines before filling out the form below.

Click here to plan a visit or participate in a class at one of our nature centers.

Looking To Fish?

Residents and nonresidents may fish from Friday, June 7 at noon until midnight Sunday, June 9 without a fishing license or trout permit. Regulations for Arkansas waters apply; daily limits and slot and length limits must be observed.

Visit one of our four state hatcheries for the annual fishing derbies on Free Fishing Weekend! These events are for families; all adults and children must register prior to the derby. Bring your fishing gear and bait along with chairs, water, sunscreen and snacks. There is a limit of three fish per person.

Click one of the hatcheries below to find the links to register. We can’t wait to see you there!

Hatchery Derby Locations: