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A Well-Deserved Honor!

One of the most enjoyable things I get to do in my job is meet a lot of outstanding anglers and outstanding people.  One that I originally crossed paths many years ago is Teeg Stouffer, the founder of an organization called Recycled Fish, http://www.recycledfish.org/index.htm .  Teeg is one of those folks who seems to have boundless energy and enthusiasm, you know the kind of guy who has caffeine coursing through his veins.  His energy and passion is infectious and you can imagine with a name like “Recycled Fish”, I have been very supportive of that organization and its “lifestyle of stewardship” message.  If you are not familiar with it, I challenge you to take the pledge right now, http://www.recycledfish.org/lifestyle-of-stewardship/sportsmans-stewardship-pledge.htm .

I recently discovered that Teeg has been honored by Field & Stream magazine as one if its monthly “Heroes of Conservation”!

FIELD & STREAM MAGAZINE HONORS

NEBRASKA MAN FOR CONSERVATION WORK

Teeg Stouffer of Bellevue, Neb., Profiled in Conjunction with Field & Stream’s Heroes of Conservation Awards; Wins $500 conservation grant from Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.

New York, N.Y.—Field & Stream, the world’s leading outdoor magazine, profiles Teeg Stouffer of Bellevue, Neb., for his extraordinary contributions to conservation in its June issue, on newsstands and available at fieldandstream.com/heroes now.  Each month Field & Stream honors three grassroots conservationists as part of its Heroes of Conservation program, which is dedicated to recognizing sportsmen who go above and beyond in the protection of fish, wildlife and habitat. Mr. Stouffer will receive a $500 conservation grant from Field & Stream’s Heroes of Conservation partner Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. and is also eligible for the Heroes of Conservation grand prize, a new Toyota Tundra. For more information or to nominate an individual involved in a conservation project, please visit fieldandstream.com/heroes.

“Hunters and fishermen have never been afraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work in the name of protecting America’s wildlife and wild places, and Teeg is a great example of that ethos hard at work,” says Anthony Licata, Editorial Director of Field & Stream. “Conservation is and will always be an integral part of hunting and fishing, and men and women like Teeg are crucial to keeping our traditions alive for generations to come.”

Now in its eighth year, Field & Stream’s Heroes of Conservation program is dedicated to honoring individuals involved in grassroots projects to preserve the land, water and wildlife vital to sportsman’s pursuits. Every month the magazine highlights three “Heroes of Conservation,” who each receive a $500 grant from program partner Toyota.  To be considered for the program, individuals must be involved in a hunting- and/or fishing-related conservation project that is well under way with outstanding results. Selections are based on a number of factors, including leadership, commitment and project growth.

“This program is very important to Toyota because it recognizes individuals who are making a difference in the world,” said Steve Appelbaum, National Manager, Engagement Marketing, Toyota Motor Sales. “These people aren’t looking for reward or praise—they’re just passionate about protecting and preserving the environment. We take great pride in partnering with Field & Stream to showcase these individuals’ efforts and achievements on a national level.”

Field & Stream’s Heroes of Conservation program culminates each fall when the magazine names the “Conservation Hero of the Year” and awards him or her a new Toyota Tundra. Six finalists, selected from the Heroes profiled in the monthly editions of the magazine, are selected and flown to Washington D.C. for an awards gala where the Hero of the Year is named and each finalist receives a $5,000 conservation grant from Toyota.

FIELD & STREAM’S June HEROES OFCONSERVATION:

Teeg Stouffer, Bellevue, Neb.

Ten years ago, Stouffer created the nonprofit Recycled Fish, which is devoted to the stewardship of all fish species and fishing waters nationwide. With the help of 120 volunteers around the country, the organization’s educational outreach has influenced 15,000-plus people to take its Sportsman’s Stewardship Pledge. The group’s Recycled Fish on Ice Tour has distributed 10,000 heavy-duty cleanup bags at ice fishing tournaments over the past six years.

David McNeal, St. George, Kan.

For the past six years, McNeal has guided hunters, free of charge, on Kansas’s Fort Riley, where he served as a first sergeant in the U.S. Army. Through his role on the board of the Fort Riley Outdoorsmen Group (FROG), he recently ran an annual turkey hunt for 17 children of soldiers deployed overseas. “I know every inch of this post,” he says, “and I apply that knowledge to getting young people involved.”

Jeff Turner, Sedley, Va.

A largemouth bass fisherman, Turner created the first Waterkeeper Alliance chapter in Virginia 12 years ago to protect the Blackwater and Nottoway Rivers. Turner gives presentations about the rivers’ key species, organizes an annual trash cleanup, guides researchers surveying mussels and striped bass, and reports on his regular patrols of the waterways and their resources. “It’s like preventative medicine,” says Turner. Through his presentations, he was recently instrumental in helping the Nature Conservancy acquire 250 acres at Byrd Point for permanent protection.

CALL FOR ENTRIES:

“This is a great opportunity to recognize conservationists in your area,” says Licata. “From the guy down the street who has been quietly removing trash from a trout stream for 20 years to someone building duck habitat, we know there are countless people who are working to make our country’s wildlife and wild places better.  We’re honoring these outdoorsmen and -women for actively preserving our heritage and letting them know their efforts have not gone unnoticed.”

For complete details, including rules, regulations, and nomination instructions, please visit fieldandstream.com/heroes.

ABOUT FIELD & STREAM

Field & Streamâ, The World’s Leading Outdoor Magazine, is the world’s largest and most recognized outdoor publication. Devoted to the complete outdoor experience and lifestyle, Field & Stream gives its readers the knowledge and inspiration to pursue the sports they love. It celebrates the outdoor experience with great stories, compelling photography, and sound advice, while honoring the traditions hunters and fishermen have passed down for generations. Established in 1895, Field & Stream is the country’s largest-circulation special-interest magazine and is published 11 times per year by the Bonnier Corporation. The Bonnier Corp. (bonniercorp.com) is one of the largest consumer-publishing groups in the United States and is the leading media company serving passionate, highly engaged audiences with more than 40 special-interest magazines and with related multimedia projects and events.

ABOUT TOYOTA

Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc. is the marketing, sales, distribution and customer service arm of Toyota, Lexus and Scion. Established in 1957, TMS markets products and services through a network of nearly 1,500 Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers which sold more than two million vehicles in 2012. Toyota directly employs nearly 30,000 people in the U.S. and its investment here is currently valued at more than $18 billion. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyota.com or www.toyotanewsroom.com.

Contact:

Amanda McNally- Field & Stream

amanda.mcnally@bonniercorp.com

718-869-2212

Congratulations Teeg!  That is a well-deserved honor!  Thank you for all that you do!

About daryl bauer

Daryl is a lifelong resident of Nebraska (except for a couple of years spent going to graduate school in South Dakota). He has been employed as a fisheries biologist for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission for 25 years, and his current tour of duty is as the fisheries outreach program manager. Daryl loves to share his educational knowledge and is an avid multi-species angler. He holds more than 120 Nebraska Master Angler Awards for 14 different species and holds more than 30 In-Fisherman Master Angler Awards for eight different species. He loves to talk fishing and answer questions about fishing in Nebraska, be sure to check out his blog at outdoornebraska.org.

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