Growing up, my father always said to me, "Do the right thing and you will always have a good result.” My father, in his wisdom, still says this to me today. As we continue to grow r.b. wright outdoors, I realize the importance of staying grounded and I have asked myself these questions… "Why are we really doing this?” “What is it that makes the passion so extraordinary?” The answer to these questions is not as difficult or as deep as I first began making it. The answer is simple. For us, it is "the game in which we pursue.”
Yes, the pursuit is incredible and it is an adrenaline rush that one must experience to truly appreciate. However, it is still the “creature” itself that drives us. Picture each of these scenarios:
- The silhouette of Rainbow Trout in a mountain stream.
- The breath flowing out of the nostrils of a large Buck on a cold morning.
- A school of Bluefin busting the surface feeding on a ball of baitfish.
- The synchronization of a flight of Geese across a corn field.
- The gobble of a Turkey coming off the roost in the distance.
- The splash of a Largemouth Bass in the shallows.
- The howl of a Coyote at dusk.
- The wake created by Redfish tailing in the flats.
My concerns were actually spurned during a writing prompt a few weeks ago sponsored by OBN and GreenFish. The discussion dealt with sustainability of fish. My mind began to race about what I am individually and we as a company are doing to help protect the resources we love, including the game we hunt and fish. Due to the rigor of schedules and time, it would be impossible for me, or many of us, to get involved on the actual front lines of lobbying for legislation or working in habitats in critical regions. However, we can still make a difference. Back to the words of my father...”Do the right thing and you will have always have a good result.” There are numerous conservation groups that are working daily to protect the resources we cherish. They are on the front lines. I may not be there physically; however the funds that I send to these organizations represent me...so in a way, I am there. I share this not in a braggadocios tone, but one of encouragement. I am certain that many of you feel the same way that I do about the game we pursue and the real purpose behind why we love these sports so much. We do harvest, or candidly speaking, kill wild game. We do it humanely. We do it with respect. We also give back to protect this resource.
My encouragement to you is simple…do something. If you are like me and not able to be on the front lines...then give. The amount is not as important as the act. Look at it like this, if every one of my twitter followers simply gave $20 to an organization that would be over $12,000.00. Many of you have followers that far exceed the 600 we have…look at what the impact could be for wildlife across the globe.
The organizations we support are:
Ducks Unlimited http://www.ducksunlimited.com/
Trout Unlimited www.tu.org/
Delta Waterfowl www.deltawaterfowl.org/
Quality Deer Management www.qdma.com/
Quail Unlimited www.qu.org/
CCA www.joincca.org/
GreenFish http://www.greenfishmovement.com/
I am well aware that there are many other very worthy organizations that work as hard as the ones r.b. wright outdoors support. These are simply suggestions of great organizations in case you are looking for a group with whom to partner. As we continue to grow...so will our support.
I appreciate you taking the time to read this and I look forward to your comments.
Thanks for your follow,
r.b. wright
Well said, RB! I think we (hunters in general) like to talk about doing things, but it's probably a minority that actually steps up and does them. I'm just as guilty as anybody. If we each supported just local organizations or efforts in our respective areas, just imagine how much could be done.
ReplyDeleteYou're right, not everyone has the time to be physically involved, but there are other ways to give support. We can be our best ally or our own worst enemy.
You are right on! The 80-20 Rule is true in too many cases, let it not be so in the case of outdoorsmen who are working in conservation. One thing I think that can be daunting is the sheer number of great organizations that are worth our support. If anything, just pick the one organization that you identify with most and help them as best you can. For me, that is the RMEF.
ReplyDeleteInspirational post! Giving back to nature is crucial in my opinion if you want to keep natural areas viable. We can’t say enough about this and action needs to start now. One of the things I highly encourage is limiting human impact while outdoors, releasing more larger sport fish and especially picking up trash. A little bit goes a long way. Great post.
ReplyDeleteBrian, Mark, and Matt- Thanks for the comments on this and I glad we all agree. Now is the time. Matt you stated the "limitation of human impact while outdoors" - I could not agree with you more but I think that will come from increased education. My concern is the growing popularity of what we do. I highly encourage people to spend some time outdoors and take up these sports, but only after proper education and a true understanding of how we impact this resource.
ReplyDeleteGentlemen - again thank you for your thoughts and I look forward to talking with you soon.
r.b.
Great blog! You got a new follower
ReplyDeleteDustin - I appreciate the follow greatly.
ReplyDeleteWell said R.B. Everyone can help, even if it's bending down to pick up a piece of litter that's washed down the stream.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a garden and it's hard for me to understand why people don't want to help protect it, and keep it viable for our children.
Rick -- it is the little things that can make a massive difference. I was filming a fly fishing trip last week in western NC and the guide and I discussed this very thing. I asked him what the top two items he thought about when he heard the word the “sustainability”...his said 1) catch and release 2) pick up your trash. Leave only your tracks. We are very fortunate to have the "Garden" as you stated. I am thankful for it and look forward to "playing" in it for a long time...hopefully with my grandkids one day. Thanks for the comment!
ReplyDeleteThose are great scenarios and a great post.
ReplyDeleteAnd yep- the little things turn to big over time.
Great blog:)
Dawn -- thanks for the kind words. I appreciate your follow.
ReplyDeleter.b.