Volunteers Moving the Mission Forward in the West

Their efforts often happen far from the spotlight, but for NWTF’s 2026 Conservation Week, the organization is recognizing volunteers from across the country who continue to go above and beyond for the mission. These individuals show that conservation is not just something you support, it is something you do. 

In the West, volunteers are moving the mission forward in their communities, creating opportunities for others while giving their time, energy and expertise to wild turkey conservation. 

Helen Butt’s involvement with the NWTF began with a banquet, a slideshow and a thought that would eventually change the course of her life. Butt grew up in a hunting family, but turkey hunting was never part of the tradition. About 16 years ago, friends invited her family to an NWTF banquet, where she watched a slideshow featuring hunters with their spring harvests. 

“I thought, ‘That looks like something I want to do,’” Butt said. 

The following spring, her family tried turkey hunting on their own. They had fun learning but came home without a turkey. 

Then, at another NWTF banquet, Butt’s husband won a veterans turkey hunt and became the first in the family to harvest a turkey. The following year, Butt and her youngest son won an adult-youth turkey hunt. Butt harvested her first turkey, as did her youngest son and, eventually, her oldest son. Within about two years, all four members of the family had harvested their first birds.  

“We were hooked,” she said. 

The NWTF had introduced Butt’s family to turkey hunting, but it would eventually become much more than a way to spend time outdoors. It became a place for Butt to serve others. 

In 2012, an NWTF regional director approached her at a banquet and asked if she would consider serving as New Mexico’s Women in the Outdoors Coordinator. 

“I couldn’t wait to get started,” Butt said. 

That same year, she became president of the Mesilla Valley Longbeards Chapter, which had been inactive for several years. She set out to rebuild the chapter and create opportunities for people to become involved in conservation, hunting and outdoor education. 

Butt has continued taking on leadership roles ever since. She joined the New Mexico NWTF State Board in 2015 and, in 2023, became the first woman to serve as president in the state. She also serves as New Mexico’s Education and Outreach Coordinator and continues to lead Women in the Outdoors efforts. 

After nearly 15 years with the NWTF, Butt said the organization has become much more than something she volunteers for. 

“It has become an important part of my life,” she said. “It has given me the opportunity to serve my community, support conservation, introduce others to the outdoors and build lasting friendships with people who share the same passion.” 

One of her favorite ways to do that is by mentoring women who are new to turkey hunting. Each year, Butt makes it a personal goal to mentor at least one woman on a turkey hunt and help her work toward harvesting her first turkey. 

“Introducing women to turkey hunting, sharing what I have learned and watching their confidence grow is one of the most rewarding parts of my involvement with the NWTF,” she said. 

Her involvement has also taken her into the field alongside wildlife professionals. In 2015, Butt participated in a Gould’s wild turkey release project in New Mexico and returned the following spring to help with a Gould’s turkey survey. Over the years, she has also volunteered with wild turkey research and tracking projects, working alongside New Mexico Department of Game and Fish biologists and conservation officers to trap and band turkeys, fit birds with tracking backpacks and collect swab samples for disease testing. 

“Being directly involved in wildlife research, restoration and conservation has been an unforgettable experience,” she said. 

And Butt shows no signs of slowing down. The 13th annual Women in the Outdoors event was another meaningful reminder of why she continues to pour so much of herself into creating these opportunities for women. With that event now behind her, she is already looking ahead to the 14th annual event in June 2027, ready to once again bring women together to learn, grow in confidence and make memories outdoors. 

Justin Grimm grew up around turkey hunting. His father was a first-generation Washington turkey hunter in the 1990s, so turkey calls and decoys were a familiar part of his childhood. Still, Grimm did not begin turkey hunting himself until he was in his 30s, but his connection to the NWTF reaches even further back. 

When the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife began trapping and transferring wild turkeys to establish populations in Washington in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Grimm was able to observe and participate in several Eastern wild turkey releases. The NWTF was an integral partner in those efforts through its Target 2000 campaign. 

Years later, Grimm’s own path into active volunteering came through an online debate about wild turkey conservation. A conversation with the then-state chapter president ended with a simple challenge: come out and get your hands dirty. 

So Grimm did. 

The first phase of the Wind River project in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest was three hours from his home. It was also pouring rain. Still, Grimm and the other volunteers planted nearly 1,000 Oregon white oaks. 

“I’ve been volunteering ever since,” he said. 

Grimm now serves as president of the Nisqually River Chapter and vice president of the Washington State Chapter. He helped start the Nisqually River Chapter in January 2025 after previously volunteering with the South Sound Strutters. 

His motivation has remained rooted in the same passion that brought him into that rainy conservation project: a love of wildlife, habitat and the outdoors. 

“Wildlife conservation and habitat restoration has been a passion of mine since I was very young,” Grimm said. "Particularly early successional habitats such as prairies and oak woodland ecosystems. The fact that wild turkeys also rely on these fire-dependent ecosystems is just a bonus!" 

For Grimm, preserving hunting heritage became even more personal after becoming a father to two sons, Boden, 17, and Atlas, 7. 

“I want my children to be able to enjoy wild places, be self-reliable, and be part of one of the greatest communities in our nation,” he said. 

One of his favorite parts of the work is introducing people of all ages and abilities to the outdoors. He especially enjoys mentoring new hunters and helping them experience success. 

Some of his most meaningful memories have happened close to home, including helping his wife, Ranae, and son Boden harvest their first turkeys. 

“Any time I can mentor a new hunter to success, especially my family, is incredibly special,” he said. 

Another recent highlight came at the NWTF’s 50th annual Convention in February, when the Nisqually River Chapter received the Outstanding Conservation Field Day Award. The recognition came during the chapter’s first year and, Grimm said, was a testament to the dedicated volunteers who made the work possible. 

Looking ahead, Grimm wants the NWTF to continue strengthening its voice in Western wildlife management and habitat conservation. Public land management is complicated across the Pacific Northwest, and Grimm believes having the NWTF at the table as a committed conservation partner will be essential to the future of wild turkeys in the region. 

And there is no shortage of opportunities ahead. With Washington’s fall turkey season underway, Grimm is looking forward to getting new hunters into the field, while also helping his chapter prepare for its third annual banquet and another shot at the Golden Gobbler award. 

Grimm hopes his own experience can encourage others who may be hesitant to get involved. He once felt like he didn’t belong at NWTF events because he had not yet harvested a turkey. It turned out that feeling could not have been further from the truth. 

“Turkey hunters are one of the most eclectic and welcoming groups I’ve ever seen,” Grimm said. “I was welcomed with open arms.” 

His advice to prospective volunteers is simple: get involved. 

For John Paul Cooper II, the outdoors has always been about more than the hunt. It is about the people who take the time to teach, mentor and pass along the traditions that make those experiences possible. 

Cooper grew up in San Diego, California, where deer, upland birds, small game, coyotes and wild turkeys provided plenty of opportunities to explore the outdoors. Turkey hunting, however, came with a steep learning curve. 

Public opportunities were limited, and the Rio Grande turkeys Cooper and his friends pursued were heavily pressured and difficult to hunt. Instead of letting that discourage them, they took it as a challenge. 

“We spent many frustrating, yet fun, hours figuring out how to be successful and harvest these difficult Rio Grande birds,” Cooper said. 

His first introduction to the NWTF came through a flyer for the San Diego Chapter’s annual Turkey Tune-Up at El Monte Park. Cooper and a group of friends attended the event, where they learned from experienced hunters, biologists and game wardens while taking part in raffles, games and other activities, and the experience stuck with him. 

“We had an absolute blast that day,” Cooper said. “We learned so much about hunting turkeys in our local area.” 

He and his friend Steve Cazares even won a limited-entry turkey hunt at Sutherland Reservoir. Although they didn't harvest a turkey, the hunt became a memorable experience for Cooper for a more personal reason. His grandfather had once been the caretaker at the reservoir, and Cooper had spent time there with his father as a child. 

Cooper had been fortunate to grow up surrounded by men who mentored him in hunting and fishing, from his father and grandfathers to uncles, cousins and family friends. Over time, he realized not everyone has someone to help introduce them to the outdoors. 

“I’ve made it a mission to help introduce people to the great outdoors who might not necessarily have had someone able to help guide them otherwise,” he said. 

That mission has shaped much of Cooper’s work. He has served as an Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife Hunter Education Instructor for eight years and spent 10 years on the Tioga Oregon Hunters Association Chapter Board. In 2022, he founded the NWTF Oregon Coastal Cutters Chapter, where he continues to serve as president. He also serves as president of the Oregon NWTF State Chapter. 

Outside of his volunteer work, Cooper serves as a senior trooper with the Oregon State Police Fish & Wildlife Division. Protecting wildlife and natural resources and helping preserve hunting and fishing opportunities is, in many ways, the fulfillment of a childhood dream. 

For Cooper, that work naturally connects to the NWTF’s mission. 

“I personally love the wild turkey and enjoy studying, observing, and pursuing it,” he said. “But for me, it’s the preservation of our hunting heritage that matters the most.” 

He believes getting people interested in hunting starts with meeting them where they are and giving them opportunities to succeed. Turkey hunting, he says, can be an especially effective way to introduce new hunters to the outdoors because it combines excitement, action and plenty of opportunities to learn. His favorite part of volunteering is seeing that excitement firsthand. 

“Nothing beats the look of excitement on a young hunter’s face when they pull the trigger and realize they just harvested their first turkey,” Cooper said. 

That feeling extends to NWTF’s Wheelin’ Sportsmen program, which provides outdoor opportunities for people with mobility challenges. Cooper’s favorite NWTF memory is helping host the Oregon Coastal Cutters’ first Wheelin’ Sportsmen hunt for disabled veterans. 

“Stars aligned and all the hard work came together,” Cooper said of the weekend. “It was a very special weekend! Made some lifelong friends in the process!” 

Those experiences are what keep Cooper invested in the mission. Through programs like JAKES, Women in the Outdoors and Wheelin’ Sportsmen, he sees an opportunity to bring new people into the outdoors while strengthening the future of hunting and conservation. 

Looking ahead, Cooper hopes to see the NWTF become a household name among sportsmen throughout Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. He believes the region has tremendous potential for growth and sees habitat restoration, partnerships with other conservation organizations and introducing more people to turkey hunting as important ways to expand the NWTF’s reach. 

For Cooper, it all comes back to passing something on. The people who mentored him gave him more than hunting skills. They gave him a connection to the outdoors and a community that has stayed with him throughout his life. Now, he is working to make sure others have the same opportunity. 

“What’s one thing you wish someone told you before joining the NWTF?” Cooper was asked. 

His answer came with a laugh: “Careful joining such a great organization. You will be hooked for life and there’s no going back after you’ve been accepted as NWTF family.” 

John Millican’s connection to the NWTF began with the Gould’s turkey restoration work in southeastern Arizona. 

In 1989, Millican transferred to the Sierra Vista District as a wildlife manager, where one of his primary responsibilities was managing and eventually translocating Gould’s wild turkeys. The birds had been reintroduced to the Huachuca Mountains in 1984 and 1987, with the NWTF serving as a major partner in those efforts. Today, the annual Gould’s Turkey Survey serves as a cornerstone of that ongoing management, helping identify the expansion of Gould’s turkeys across the mountain ranges, document habitat preferences and evaluate annual recruitment. Over time, that information can be used to guide strategic, sustainable harvest management. 

As interest in the growing turkey population increased, Millican helped establish the Huachuca Gould’s Chapter and joined its board in 1998. He has been involved ever since and has served as chapter president since 2022. 

Nearly three decades of volunteering have given Millican plenty of opportunities to see the impact of the chapter’s work. Today, the Huachuca Gould’s Chapter hosts 12 to 15 events and activities each year focused on conservation, education, recruitment and retention, community engagement and partnerships. For Millican, that broad approach is what makes the NWTF unique. 

“NWTF is not only about the wild turkey,” he said. “They are about the scientific management of resources and the wildlife species supported by managed lands.” 

Much of the chapter’s work centers on engaging people who may not otherwise have a connection to conservation or the outdoors. Through family and youth events, community activities and partnerships with other organizations, Millican and the chapter work to introduce new audiences to the NWTF mission while building support for conservation. 

"Understanding that the educational outreach provided through our broad range of activities makes a difference in involving broad-based publics in conservation and outdoor related activities is my favorite part of volunteering," Millican said. "We see it in the smiles, appreciation, repeat participation and development of new attendees and partners requesting our assistance and continued activity development." 

That continued engagement is also what keeps him volunteering. As the Huachuca Gould’s Chapter approaches its 30th year, Millican hopes to help bring in a new generation of members and volunteers who can carry the chapter’s work forward.  

"Become engaged not only through volunteering on a local level, but on a state and national level on issues that adversely affect science-based habitat management, access, recreation, public lands and our hunting heritage," Millican said. "Without personal involvement and commitment, our outdoor and hunting heritage will be lost. Sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone else or an organization to take on the fight will only dilute the collective power." 

After nearly three decades with the NWTF, Millican says one of the things he values most is the way the organization treats its volunteers and members. 

“Volunteers are the lifeblood of NWTF with 80% of Super Fund monies going into the conservation mission and on ground efforts," he said. "The respect that is placed on volunteers and how membership is viewed as family is important to me." 

For Millican, that sense of family extends far beyond the organization itself. It is about the communities, families and future generations reached through conservation and outdoor experiences. 

“As a volunteer, the impact that the organization had not only on me, but on the communities touched by the NWTF family,” he said. “The power of interaction, education and involvement through the outdoors is infectious.” 

For Eric Branthoover, volunteering with the NWTF has always been closely tied to family, hunting and passing those experiences on to the next generation. Branthoover grew up turkey hunting with his dad and first became involved with the NWTF in Maryland through the Western Maryland Chapter in Garrett County. Friends who were already involved introduced him to the organization, and he soon became an active volunteer. 

When Branthoover’s own children reached the age when they were interested in hunting, his involvement took on a new meaning. He began bringing them to chapter functions and JAKES events hosted by his local chapter and neighboring chapters, giving his kids many of the same opportunities to connect with hunting and the outdoors that he had growing up. 

One of his favorite memories came during a JAKES event when his daughters were younger than 10. His middle daughter was selected to push the plunger that set off the charge for a cannon-net demonstration. 

“She was excited about that for a long time,” Branthoover said. 

Those experiences helped shape his belief that getting young people involved early can make a lasting difference. 

“The next generation is going to have to replace the older generation at some point,” he said. “If we get the youth involved and interested at a young age, we have a better chance of them staying involved. I would rather see a young person getting involved in hunting, fishing, and conservation than having their nose stuck in a phone or a screen of some sort. When you get the youth involved a lot of time the parents get involved also." 

When Branthoover moved to Colorado in April 2021, he wanted to continue his involvement with the NWTF. But living near Rifle meant most NWTF events were several hours away. Rather than letting the distance keep him from the organization, he reached out to the state chapter about starting one closer to home. 

He connected with several avid turkey hunters in the area, and four volunteers came together to form the Western Slope Longbeards Chapter. Branthoover has served as chapter president since its founding roughly four years ago, and the chapter recently held its third annual banquet. 

For Branthoover, building the chapter has been about more than hosting a banquet each year. He wants to create opportunities for people in the area to connect with the NWTF while raising funds that support the organization's conservation mission locally. 

He also wants to see more opportunities for young people. The chapter hopes to organize a JAKES event at a local shooting range where youth can learn about firearm safety and gain hands-on experience. 

Branthoover sees programs like JAKES as an important part of the NWTF's long-term conservation mission. The story of the wild turkey's recovery from near extinction resonates with him, but so does the opportunity to make sure future generations understand why conservation matters. 

His favorite part of volunteering is helping carry that message forward. 

“My passion is to pass on the goal of the NWTF to the youth,” he said. 

That work doesn't happen alone. Branthoover says one of the things he enjoys most about the NWTF is the camaraderie between chapters. Different chapters approach events and fundraising in different ways, creating opportunities for volunteers to share ideas and learn from one another. 

“Everyone does things different, and we can all learn different things to accomplish the same goals,” he said. 

That spirit of collaboration has also helped the Western Slope Longbeards grow. The chapter started with just four committee members and operated that way for its first two years. Adding three more volunteers during its third year made it possible to delegate responsibilities and make the workload more manageable. 

For Branthoover, that experience reinforced an important lesson about volunteering: everyone has something to contribute. 

“The more people you get involved makes it easier on everyone involved,” he said. “Volunteering is great, and it doesn't have to be a lot of time, but every bit of help matters when you are shooting for the same goal.” 

As he looks ahead, Branthoover hopes to continue growing the Western Slope Longbeards and create more opportunities for youth to experience hunting, conservation and the outdoors. For him, it is about giving the next generation the same chance to build those connections that his dad gave him and is sharing now with his own children.