A New Vision

The NWTF’s longstanding mission – the conservation of the wild turkey and the preservation of our hunting heritage – has for more than five decades motivated passionate members, staff and volunteers to create meaningful, positive impacts on wild turkey populations and their habitats, and to promote education, champion hunters and engage more people in outdoor pursuits across America.

“The NWTF’s mission is concrete – it is ‘what’ we do and will not change,” NWTF co-CEO Kurt Dyroff said. “But we quickly realized the ‘why’ behind it all did not reflect our organization’s true impact. So, we decided to declare what we believe is possible and what we intend to achieve by tapping into the unique expertise and passion of a growing NWTF community to unite people and create a better world.”

To strengthen the ability to deliver on our mission, the NWTF is executing a comprehensive 10-year strategic plan that touches every aspect of the organization through a series of high-impact plans designed to achieve multiple goals.

The NWTF vision team, a mix of strategic communications partners, staff and volunteers, recognized how important attracting new people with different backgrounds, beliefs, skillsets and ideas will be to achieving NWTF’s mission over the next decade.

Ultimately, the team rallied around a succinct vision statement that packs a powerful punch:

“A nation united by the life-changing power of the outdoors.”

“The life-changing power of the outdoors is evident in each hunt, habitat restoration project and outreach event that the NWTF and our local chapters create,” Dyroff said.

Digging even deeper, the team discovered stories of people who’ve gotten involved with the NWTF and are passionate about the life-changing power of the outdoors.

“We’ve seen how turkey hunting saved the life of a combat veteran contemplating suicide,” NWTF Communications Director Pete Muller said. “We’ve seen it give a hunter in the Bronx, New York, an opportunity to get outside the city limits and experience the great outdoors, and then share that with a community uninitiated to the wonders of the outdoors by starting a new NWTF chapter in the heart of the Big Apple. Those are just two examples of the immense power of our natural resources.”

What emerged for the team was a clear link between these stories and NWTF’s ongoing work focused on improving habitat for wild turkeys and other wildlife, purifying America’s natural waters, making our forests more resilient against catastrophic wildfire, safeguarding communities and much more.

“There is immense opportunity to continue to bring people from all walks of life into the NWTF’s mission, uniting us all around a common cause that inspires enduring commitment to action over the long haul,” NWTF co-CEO Jason Burckhalter said.

As part of a bolder, strategically mapped plan over the next decade, the NWTF’s new vision isn’t just a well-intentioned philosophy, it’s a commitment that’s all about driving tangible action and results by:

• Creating a common bond that unifies diverse audiences.
• Keeping the wild turkey at the center of the NWTF, while remaining people-centered.
• Retaining our base of dedicated members, while welcoming and including newcomers.

To combat challenges facing the wild turkey, the health of our forests and the future of hunting, the NWTF plans to double the size of the organization in both membership and chapters, while also retaining and increasing its talented staff. By doing this, the NWTF will enhance its mission work for the wild turkey, hunting and wildlife habitat.

With two impactful NWTF-driven initiatives currently in motion – Habitat for the Hatch and Waterways for Wildlife – there is still more work to do. Other strategically constructed landscape-scale NWTF initiatives are in the works to cover the balance of the country and will be announced soon.

With concerning news about declining public acceptance of hunting, the NWTF continues to bring others into the hunting and shooting sports through nationwide outreach events. To increase our reach with the nonhunting community and educate more on hunting and the outdoors, the NWTF has spearheaded the national Hunt for Good campaign. This program aims to better inform the public on the benefits of hunting, improving perception of our passion for the outdoors and raising the decibel level of voices in favor of the outdoor lifestyle.

In addition, the NWTF will bolster our efforts with a continued emphasis on supporting and driving wild turkey research to address and answer many of the dynamic questions around wild turkey declines in parts of the country. These results will be studied and implemented into our habitat work, management recommendations and policy efforts nationally.

The NWTF’s announcement to fund an endowment at the University of Georgia, creating the National Wild Turkey Federation Distinguished Professor position, is key to the future of wild turkey research and the elevation of wild turkey academia (see the full announcement on page 46). The NWTF is committed to creating the next generation of wild turkey biologists and professionals.

The new vision also serves as a solid foundation for a long-term, aspirational story platform to showcase efforts across the entire NWTF community.

“Our new vision sets up a compelling storyline with so many stories of people overcoming challenges and achieving great things together that are just waiting to be told,” Muller said. “The mission and vision work incredibly well together, and we’re excited to introduce a set of related key messages that will make it easier for our crucial members and volunteers to amplify NWTF’s impact.”

Future communication tools on this new vision statement will make it easier for members and nonmembers alike to share the NWTF’s impact with large audiences. This will simplify and strengthen how the NWTF communicates what the organization is all about and how its goals and initiatives deliver on the mission.

“This is just the start – we’ve got more work to do,” Dyroff said. “Let’s continue to make connections and commitments that leave a legacy for the NWTF, because it’s through your personal commitment and support that we ensure healthy habitats, healthy harvests and truly healthy lives.”

• Double the size of the organization in both membership and chapters while also focusing on attracting and retaining quality talent.
• Strategically build out additional large-scale, NWTF-led initiatives covering the remaining balance of the country. Through these initiatives, we will identify the greatest needs and highest priorities for these landscapes bringing laser focus to our work and ensuring that we are having the greatest impact.
• Continue to promote the national campaign, Hunt for Good, which is working to educate and improve the public perceptions of hunting.
• Discussions with select universities to explore ways in which the NWTF can create endowed professorships and dedicated funding streams for wild turkey programs in academia, ensuring that there will always be educational pathways creating the next wild turkey biologist, professional, or even professor.

• Dual Mission: For more than 50 years, the NWTF has been the only organization whose mission focuses on both conservation and hunting.
• National Strategy With Local And State Focus: The NWTF combines a national mission and technical expertise with significant funding retained and controlled at the local and state levels.
• Research And Conservation Impact: The NWTF and its state chapters are a catalyst and driving force behind wild turkey research and wildlife habitat conservation across the country.
• Societal Benefits: The NWTF’s wild turkey conservation and hunting heritage initiatives benefit other wildlife, healthy forests, water quality, recreation opportunities and the economies of rural communities.
• Hunter Champion: The NWTF is a tireless champion and advocate for hunters, hunter education, and promoting respect for safe and ethical hunting.
• Connecting People: The NWTF brings together people from diverse backgrounds who have a shared passion for the great outdoors, conservation of the wild turkey, and appreciation of our hunting lifestyle.

Life-changing Stories: Has the NWTF, conservation or turkey hunting had a big impact on your life? Let us know if you have a great story by emailing turkeycall@nwtf.net.