Engaging students in advocacy to protect public lands, waters, and wildlife is at the heart of BHA’s Collegiate Program. Since the program’s inception in 2016, this is how we’ve been educating our college members about important conservation legislation and teaching them how to use their voices to speak up for our wild places.
The Great American Outdoors Act
BHA members were instrumental in helping pass the Great American Outdoors Act in August 2020 and our student leaders were no exception. College students across North America called their representatives, participated in live streams, and educated their peers to help get GAOA across the finish line.
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act
The pandemic hit university clubs hard, but students were quick to adapt and in early 2021 “Field to Floor” was born. Field to floor was a way to engage our students in advocacy around the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act through virtual events. The highlight of the series was a panel with BHA and their partners at The Wildlife Society, Native American Fish and Wildlife Society, and the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection meant to educate students on the bipartisan and wide-reaching benefits of RAWA. Students followed up by sending postcards to their senators urging them to co-sponsor the bill.
The North American Grasslands Conservation Act
Students will continue their advocacy in the fall of 2022 with a focus on the North American Grasslands Conservation Act. Through stewardship projects, postcards, op-eds, and virtual meetings, our students continue to be some of our strongest advocates.
If you'd like to support BHA's Collegiate Program, you can donate HERE.
To learn more about how you can help support the work of our students and clubs, reach out to BHA's Collegiate Program Coordinator at [email protected].
About BHA Collegiate Program