Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience (YWCE)
Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience
This year's Youth Wildlife Conservation Experience (YWCE) will take place at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on January 18-20th, 2024. School groups will attend a private experience on January 18th and 19th which will include wildlife conservation presentations, outdoor career seminars, and hands-on educational inspiration for encouraging youth to get outside through taking up or furthering their knowledge and skills in a variety of outdoor hobbies. January 20th we open up the YWCE to the public, for FREE. The goal is simple, to excite and inspire the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts.
Simply bring your family down to Hall 4 and the F-Meeting Rooms of the Reno-Sparks Convention Center for hours of educational fun. Event runs from 10am to 4pm. A quick registration takes place on site, just show up the day of the event. This is the youth component of the Sheep Show, which occurs just down the hallway. A parent who brings a youth to the YWCE can receive a voucher to get into the Sheep Show exhibit hall for free.
Over 40 hands-on stations for youth, including: kayak pool, duck calling, hover archery, trap archery, 3D archery, stick-it archery, BB gun range, Laser Shot, rock climbing wall, soil tunnel, nature crafts, CSI Wildlife, hands-on hides/skulls, taxidermy, science of darting wild sheep, make plaster tracks, telemetry, fly tying, Operation Game Thief trailer, tour amazing bass fishing boats, casting challenges, learn to fletch arrows, entomology (try eating bugs), and more!
YWCE Opens to the Public:
Location: Reno-Sparks Convention Center (Hall 4 and F-Meeting Rooms)-Do NOT go the Sheep Show registration and pay to get in, simply head to Hall 4.
Time: Saturday, January 20th from 10am- 4pm
Free youth raffle: Youth receive free raffle tickets for the youth raffles at registration.
Tracks Program: There is even more for youth ages 12-17, the Tracks Program. Youth pick up a “Tracks Program Card” at YWCE registration that is taken into the Sheep Show exhibit hall. Follow the sheep tracks on the ground to seven participating exhibitors who further educate on conservation, wildlife, or the outdoors. The card is punched at each station. The card is then deposited into a special raffle bin at the Wild Sheep Foundation’s Membership Booth in the exhibit hall. The raffle then takes place back in YWCE youth area at 3:00 for special prizes from Leica, Sitka, Kenetrek Boots, and Stone Glacier. Must be present to win.
Hands-On Learning Experiences in YWCE: There may be more, but at this time we youth can learn about the outdoors and wildlife conservation from a variety of hands-on stations, including: rock climbing wall, fly tying, wild sheep conservation, target archery, trap archery, hover archery, stick-it archery, 3D archery “mini course”, Operation Game Thief, pellet gun range, BB gun range, duck calling, make nature cards, make arrowhead/bear claw necklaces, learn to fletch arrows by making an arrow pen, falconers, mini-hunter safety Laser Shot, bird identification, and more.
This Year’s Participating Organizations:
Hands-On Stations:
Wild Sheep Foundation
Nevada Department of Wildlife
National Bighorn Sheep Center
Bureau of Land Management
Lahontan Audubon Society
Jack Creek Preserve
Scheel’s
UNR Cooperative Extension
Capital City Gun Club Youth Shotgun Shooting Academy
Galena High School Rifle Team
Boy Scout of America
National Resources Conservation District
Nevada Department of Agriculture
Nevada S3DA
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation
Polestar Outdoors
University of Wyoming
High Desert Archery
Truckee River Fly Fishers
Carson Valley All About Youth, Inc.
Maison T Ortiz Youth Outdoor Skills Camp
First Hunt Foundation
Nevada Outdoor School
Operation Game Thief
Local falconer group
Great Basin Bassers
High Sierra Fly Casters
And a huge amount of solo volunteers!
Tracks Program:
Leica
Sitka
Bear Trust, International
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Northern Nevada Safari Club International
Kenetrek Boots
Organizations Giving Career Seminars to School Groups:
Wonrate Gear
Bureau of Land Management
National Bighorn Sheep Center
Nevada Department of Wildlife
Azyre
Great Basin Bassers
Imperial Western Products
Jack Creek Preserve
Nevada Falconers
For more information, or to volunteer at the YWCE, contact Ryan Brock at Rbrock@wildsheepfoundation.org.
