HTDA At 2009 Hoosier Outdoor Experience
By Jerry Moll
10/11/2009 8:14:29 AM
The 2009 Hoosier Outdoor Experience was a success. Organizers would like to thank the volunteers, activity providers and those that attended.
On the heels of a successful first-year effort, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation have announced the second annual Hoosier Outdoor Experience will be Sept. 18-19, 2010 at Fort Harrison State Park, Indianapolis.
The inaugural "Experience" drew 13,300 attendees for the event, which included a one-day program for selected elementary school students followed by two days of free activities for the general public.
"It was a slam dunk," DNR Director Robert E. Carter Jr. said. "Our first Hoosier Outdoor Experience did everything we expected it to do. We were able to introduce the DNR and its programs to thousands of new park visitors and at the same time introduce those people to a wide range of recreational opportunities."
Unlike at traditional trade shows, visitors to the Hoosier Outdoor Experience were able to enjoy hands-on participation in nearly 50 outdoor activities. Some of the more popular events were trap shooting, archery, mountain biking, canoeing and kayaking, bow fishing, building wildlife boxes, and riding off-road vehicles.
"It was gratifying to see 18 months of planning finally play out, but even more rewarding to see the countless happy faces experiencing many of the weekend activities for the first time," said Amanda Wuestefield, Hoosier Heritage Outdoor Coordinator and the lead organizer for the Experience. "We expect next year's event to be even bigger."
The Hoosier Outdoor Experience was presented by the Department of Natural Resources and the Indiana Natural Resources Foundation with support from the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust; Ball Brothers Foundation; WXIN-Fox 59, Indianapolis; and numerous other sponsors. Sponsorship information for the 2010 Hoosier Outdoor Experience can be obtained from Indiana Natural Resources Foundation executive director Bourke Patton; call (317) 234-5447 or e-mail bpatton@dnr.IN.gov.
•See full IDNR report: http://www.in.gov/dnr/5009.htm
•Visit the multimedia slideshow: http://www.in.gov/dnr/5664.htm
Following is the report from Debbie Hovious, HTDA's Hoosier Outdoor Experience Chairman
The Hoosier Outdoor Experience was a great success, we had many opportunities to speak with children and adults about the sport of hunting with tree dogs. We had several kids play around with tracking equipment, watch a treeing dog on the tree with scent, smell scent in the bottle, try on some of the hunting equipment such as a belt light and boots with chaps and use a compass. Also, we had the opportunity to hand out several pamphlets with HTDA goals and purpose info as well as the "Don't shoot my dog" literature. We met a few coon hunters from the Indianapolis area and handed out applications for HTDA membership. We look forward to next year!
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