NWTF Pennsylvania Celebrates Another Year of Conservation Accomplishments
EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The Pennsylvania State Chapter of the National Wild Turkey Federation hosted another successful Rendezvous in Hershey, Pennsylvania, welcoming volunteers and members from across the state for a weekend long celebration.
As attendees arrived and reunited Friday evening, state and local chapter accomplishments for 2025 were displayed, with highlights announced by Dan Rensel, NWTF regional director for Pennsylvania. Rooted in a rich history of wild turkey conservation, Pennsylvania remains one of the top five states in the country for total net income raised for the NWTF’s mission delivery, reaching more than $1 million put toward habitat projects, research, scholarships and more.
The rendezvous also served as an opportunity for the next state chapter president, Cody Chapman, and the new Pennsylvania Game Commission wild turkey biologist, Reina Tyl, to introduce themselves to members and volunteers.
During a brief presentation, Tyl spoke about how monitoring wild turkey abundance is key to successful management. She shared how wild turkey populations in the state have changed over the last two decades, explained the indices the PGC is using to track those changes and emphasized the importance of hunting surveys to gather data. Moving forward, the PGC wild turkey program plans to incorporate new information regarding population estimates and harvest rates when making management decisions.
To discuss the Pennsylvania NWTF state chapter conservation delivery accomplishments for 2025, Mitch Blake, NWTF district biologist, presented on the NWTF’s Four Shared Values and how Pennsylvania’s most recent conservation projects are upholding those values. For example, a forest restoration project within the Michaux State Forest is creating a mosaic of habitat that will benefit wild turkeys and many other wildlife species, many of which are classified as species of greatest conservation concern in Pennsylvania.
This year’s Rendezvous also offered a new opportunity for women to connect with one another. Abbie Shireman, Pennsylvania state education and outreach coordinator, and Morgan Evans, NWTF national R3 and relevancy coordinator, invited ladies to a roundtable seminar where they had a conversation about what the Women in the Outdoors program is currently offering and what should be offered in the future. As the ladies shared their stories, meaningful conversations were had, and a community was built.
Evans also gave a presentation on how the Hunt For Good Campaign fits in with the NWTF’s Forests and Flocks Initiative. PGC’s R3 specialist, Courtney Braunns, was a part of an effort that worked on the Northeast Regional Campaign at the end of 2024.
“One of the NWTF's priorities in the Northeast is the retention of hunters,” Evans said. “And as attitudes toward hunting change, we also want to prioritize policy and the awareness surrounding the benefits of hunting. The Hunt For Good Campaign is a marketing tool that aims to help with all of those things.”
The weekend wrapped up during the banquet and awards ceremony, where 2025 state and national award winners were recognized. Notably, the Pennsylvania NWTF State Chapter recognized Dave Boston, chairman of the state board who will be receiving the national Roger M. Latham Award at the 50th annual NWTF Convention and Sport Show in Nashville, Tennessee.
The banquet was also an opportunity for Sean Langevin, NWTF director of annual giving, to announce that the Pennsylvania NWTF State Chapter will be fundraising for a state-specific dedication event, following in the footsteps of Wisconsin and Minnesota. Dedication plaques will be showcased at Cabela’s in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, in 2027, celebrating the NWTF’s mission and the history of wild turkey conservation in the Keystone State.
The dedication will also include a memorial for Jerry Zimmerman, an NWTF regional director who passed away in 2005. A bronze legacy turkey sculpture honoring Jerry, originally placed at NWTF headquarters in Edgefield, South Carolina, will be brought to Pennsylvania and displayed as part of the dedication.
“This dedication will honor those who got the NWTF to where it is today, including Jerry, while also raising money for future generations to enjoy the life-changing power of the outdoors,” Langevin said. “This is an opportunity for people to preserve their legacy alongside a man who meant so much to so many.”
About the National Wild Turkey Federation
Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has positively impacted over 25 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The NWTF has also invested over $10 million into wild turkey research to guide the management of the wild turkey population and to ensure sustainable populations into perpetuity. The organization continues to deliver its mission by working across boundaries on a landscape scale through its Four Shared Values: clean and abundant water, healthy forests and wildlife habitat, resilient communities, and robust recreational opportunities. With the help of its dedicated members, partners and staff, the NWTF continues its work to provide Healthy Habitats. and Healthy Harvests. for future generations.