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.

Like Arkansas’s natural resources, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s educational programs depend on the support of people with a passion for the natural world.

Volunteers are the lifeblood of regional conservation education efforts. They work with everything from computers and photography to trail building and canoe instruction. Everyone has something to contribute to the outdoors, and we encourage people from all walks of life to participate.

Volunteerism benefits our facilities and our visitors, but there’s no feeling quite like sharing your passion for the outdoor world with a newcomer. Your time and enthusiasm are not only among the least-expensive ways to help, they’re the greatest and most appreciated donations you can give.

Students in the class of 2027 and beyond are now required to complete community service to earn a high school diploma in Arkansas. (ACT 237 of 2023, pages 38-39).

Contacts

What is a Prescribed Burn Association?

Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) are groups of landowners who form partnerships to pool their knowledge, equipment, and other resources to conduct prescribed fires. While this is a recently developed program in Arkansas, there are established PBAs in surrounding states. They generally have a president, vice president, secretary, treasurer and board members. Once a prescribed burn association is established, they will receive training and can apply for a burn trailer and equipment provided in partnership by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Quail Forever, and United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

If you are interested in more information about Prescribed Burn Associations or starting a Prescribed Burn Association in your county, please contact Courtney Todd at: ctodd@quailforever.org.

Prescribed Burn Associations

The Natural State Landowner Conservation Awards celebrate private landowners for their contribution to conservation efforts in the Natural State in partnership with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Greenway Equipment and the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation.

The AGFC places rod-and-reel combinations in public locations for individuals to check out, just as they would a library book. Some locations even include fly-tying equipment for checkout. With over 50 locations across the state participating in this program, we strive to make fishing more accessible to people who just want to try it for the first time. Check the link below to find a site close to you. If you have a great location you think we should partner with through this program, get the program request form from the application link.

• Tackle Loan Site Request Form

Like other recreational activities, fishing requires a basic knowledge of techniques for consistent success and enjoyment. To help supply these tools to anglers, clinics and seminars are periodically held across the state. These educational classes can be tailored to a variety of skill levels, from beginner to seasoned professionals of all ages. To request a class please use the link provided.

• Fishing Education Class Request Form

Fishing Education Program Contact

Phone: 501-255-3687

Address: 23 Joe Hogan Lane, Lonoke, AR 72086

Two mobile aquariums are available free of charge for display at qualifying community events, such as educational programs, outdoor shows, schools, youth organizations, or other family-friendly events. At each appearance, they are stocked with a large variety of native fish species and aquatic turtles. A program member will be in attendance to answer questions concerning aquatic resources, while also providing educational literature. Click the links below for more information, and fill out the application below to request AGFC support.

• Mobile Aquarium Event Information

Fishing Education Program

Phone: 501-255-3687

23 Joe Hogan Lane, Lonoke, AR 72086