Conservation Week Volunteer Spotlight: Northeast

For NWTF’s 2025 Conservation Week, the organization is spotlighting volunteers from each region who continue to go above and beyond for the mission.

Here are some of the volunteers that are moving the mission needle in the Northeast!

Halsey is the current NWTF Southern Vermont Limbhangers Chapter president, and although he’s only been in his role for a few years, he led his chapter’s committee in hosting the highest-netting hunting heritage banquet in New England.

“He has shown his love and passion for the NWTF and the wild turkey in so many ways,” said Carter Heath, NWTF regional director for New England. “He is a passionate conservationist and turkey hunter and a wonderful ambassador for the National Wild Turkey Federation!”

In 2021, Halsey saw his local NWTF chapter advertise an upcoming banquet on social media. He was an NWTF member for over 20 years, and that post made him realize he was ready to take his membership to the next level. He reached out to the chapter asking how he could help with the banquet.

“That year, I showed up early and helped where I was needed, and that night lit a fire in me,” he said. “I just wanted to give back and help out more with the conservation and hunting heritage side of our mission.”

Since taking over as president in 2023, his chapter’s attendance records have skyrocketed, and it is because Halsey is passionate about making events more inclusive.

“I feared we weren’t recruiting youth or women anymore, but turkey hunting is such an exciting thing,” Halsey said. “It's a great way to introduce people to the outdoors and to spread the NWTF’s mission of conserving the wild turkey and its habitat to more people. We want people to see that we’re not just interested in hunting turkeys.”

To help involve more youth, he helps with the local chapter’s youth turkey weekend and with the local 4-H events. He hopes to work with his NWTF regional biologist and a local wildlife management area to build an informational event for nonhunters to see the conservation work the NWTF is doing in Vermont.

Reflecting on the last few years of being involved with the chapter, Halsey is grateful for the networking opportunities, not only in his state, but throughout all of New England. He feels supported by other chapters and has gained so many new friendships as he continues to work on spreading his love for the outdoors with others.

“I wouldn’t be able to do it without the support of my regional director, Carter Heath; my chapter’s previous president, Morgan Gouveia; and my strong committee. Being able to have guys like that, that are always there for me, makes it easy.”

As the current NWTF New York State JAKES Coordinator, Kortright has continued to go above and beyond teaching youth and sharing the life-changing power of the outdoors. Growing up in a family that deeply valued hunting, he has been passionate about hunting heritage and habitat conservation since he was very young.

“I spend more time outdoors than I do indoors,” Kortright said.

He attended his first NWTF banquet back in 2003, when his local NWTF Sullivan County Longbeards chapter was revived. After that banquet, he attended the chapter’s subsequent committee meeting and immediately stepped into the role of vice president. Recently, he stepped into the presidential role.

Kortright also signed on as the NWTF New York State Chapter JAKES coordinator because he wants to be a part of the effort toward recruiting the next generation of hunters. He believes that without them, there is no future for conservation. For over 14 years, he has also dedicated his time to building bluebird house kits for youth.

“Butch has a heart for introducing new generations to hunting and passing on a love for the outdoors,” said Teresa Carroll, NWTF education and outreach program coordinator. “Each year, his chapter hosts several events for the youth and for veterans and his passion for outreach continues to change lives in the process.”

Aside from hosting JAKES events that focus on archery, hunting basics, fishing derbies and more, Kortright is also dedicated to creating a space for veterans to get outside for a hunt. Every spring, he and his committee host a spring veteran’s turkey hunt.

“I found that we needed to dedicate our time – one on one – to our veterans,” Kortright said. “We hosted four veterans and took them hunting and fishing. I invited them back to my house for a BBQ with the trout we caught, and we just spent time together. At the end of the night, one of the veterans who served in Vietnam shared that this was so special to him because he was never shown this kind of kindness.”

When asked what some of his most favorite moments from over the years were, Kortright responded with a chuckle and said there were too many to talk about, and that is what makes volunteering with the NWTF so rewarding.

Based in Enola, Pennsylvania, Bobb is the current NWTF Michaux-Yellow Breeches Chapter president. Before he and his wife Debbie Bobb got involved five years ago, his chapter wasn’t hosting fundraising events. Bobb didn’t want to see his chapter disappear, so with the help of neighboring chapters, they hosted a banquet. Bobb and Debbie took on all leadership roles —president, vice president, treasurer and chairman.

“Chip has an unwavering dedication to his local chapter’s success, from securing donations to leading impactful fundraisers,” said Dan Rensel, NWTF regional director for Pennsylvania. “His passion for hunting, conservation and community involvement truly sets him apart as a leader and advocate of the NWTF mission.”

Chip is passionate about being an advocate for the NWTF because he still remembers places years ago that once had no turkeys, but now, thanks to conservation efforts, have abundance. He attributes those efforts to the NWTF.

He got serious about turkey hunting when he was 47 and was able to bag a bird that season. He’s gone out every season since and started writing turkey hunting stories that he shares on his Facebook account.

“I’ll share all my hunts even the unsuccessful ones,” he said. “I drop tips for hunters with questions or new hunters in my stories as well. My number one tip would be: patience.”

Chip has also been shifting his focus toward getting more youth involved. He was fortunate enough to take his grandchildren out for their first turkey hunts, and he loved every second of it.

Now, he is planning a collaborative JAKES-Plus Day next summer, which will be a turkey hunting 101 class geared toward youth, but the event will have no age restriction. Chip wants to leave it open for anyone who needs or wants a refresher or introduction to turkey hunting. He also plans to lead a workshop where attendees can make their own box calls.

“I hope to see my chapter continue into the next generation,” Chip said. “I hope that these younger volunteers will keep this chapter’s legacy alive.”