Minnesota Waterfowl Association

 Well, what a week of camp! Yesterday our camp was complete, our parents, grandparents and friends arrived at camp to have lunch, listen to a short program and give a way cool things to the kids. By now, I hope the kids have taken the time to explain everything that they learned and thought about Woodie Camp. From all accounts they had a great experience and learned some new things and got to do things they never knew about, or maybe thought about. So I hope that they shared things they took away from the week, and maybe planted a bug of sorts to the future of waterfowl or the outdoors. 

I want to thank everyone for getting their kids involved in our Woodie Camp, and hope that you will take the time to explore the Minnesota Waterfowl Association to see other things that we do as an organization if you don't know. The MWA is a habitat conservation and education organization that has been around since 1967, I am proud of the work that we do as an organization, and I am very glad that we have developed Woodie Camp into a premier youth camp in our 24 years doing the camp. 

I would love to hear thoughts or learn the campers thoughts from your side, feel free to drop me a line, or a note, anytime. 

Thank you for your support and for getting your kids involved and for driving your kids to and from Fergus Falls, MN. 

Until next time, from the Minnesota Waterfowl Association...

Brad Nylin
Executive Director
Minnesota Waterfowl Association
(952) 767-0320
Email: brad.nylin@mnwaterfowl.com

 Hello from the last full day of camp! What a spectacular day it was. We started out this morning with beautiful weather and it lasted all day. Half the kids went on a prairie walk to identify prairie plants, while the other half of the kids were banding ducks. They actually got to hold the ducks and put a band on their leg and release them again to the wild. Banding ducks is always a huge hit here! Once the morning session was over the campers designed a poster that was a contest so we were able to see lots of creativity and a glimps of what they learned at camp this week. 

After lunch, we played volleyball and have just the championship to play in the morning. Once that was done the kids watched the counselors vs. instructors shot gun competition, which was fun. Then the big competitions started, we had half the kids in a waterfowl ID test while the other half were doing the top gun competition. After dinner the kids will be participating in a duck and goose calling competition while the other half of the kids are taking our Woodie Camp test. Once this is all over, we will have a Camp fire and maybe a sing a long... It should be an awesome night for a fire. Tomorrow we will wrap everything up in the morning, and clean up, take photo's and pack and hopefully be ready for the parents when tey arrive at 11:30.. 

Until next time, from Woodie Camp...

 Hello from Woodie Camp! If you look at the weather on the site, you can tell it's cool today, the high is only mid 60's... It's there yet.. This morning, the kids are painting decoys, learning about nesting structures, wood duck houses and mallard tubes etc. Everything is outdoors except the decoy painting.. So I am blogging from the classroom right now trying to warm up.. This afternoon we have team tournements then we start our cooking contest. This is always a really fun afternoon. 

What a great week, with terrific kids!

Until next time from Woodie Camp... 

 Wow, what a day! We started out early this morning, breakfast at 7:00 a.m. and right to game care. The kids cleaned 100 mallards in short order. They learned how from a couple of excellent instructors that know just about every way possible to clean birds. So they put those new skills to work right away and did a terrific job. Once the cleaning was complete, they learned all about marinade's and how they work with cooking. So, tonight all 100 mallards are soaking in the kids marinade's and tomorrow afternoon, the kids will compete in the first competition, a Wild Game Cooking Contest. We will have very special judges, so we will be looking forward to that! Also, what the kids cleaned and prepare will be everyone's dinner tomorrow night! 

As for the rest of the day, well the game care took up all morning, then we had a picnik lunch in the barn, complete with ice cream sandwiches and hot dogs, and more. Once lunch was over, the kids all went to their dorm rooms to change into beach wear, and the school bus was waiting for everyone to take us to 10 Mile Lake, for our water day. We had a great afternoon, with a bit of wind, we did have to wrap up a bit early, as a strom rolled in, but once on the bus it rained and when we got back it had quit. So, then it was dinner time, the spagehetti was a huge hit! Right now the kids are in one of the two classes going on, either Waterfowl ID, or Orienteering. After this session we have a 1/2 hour break, then it's classes starting at 9:15, the kids will be in either Night Time Navigation or Planning the Hunt. 

Wow, it's been a long day, I along with most of the Campers will be looking for a nice night's sleep.. 

Until next time, from Woodie Camp...

 Hello from Woodie Camp! It has been a terrific week so far. The kids have been off the charts great! Yesterday was a busy day and a long day. The had more waterfowl ID, goose calling and shooting, plus some new things, they leanred how to clean shot guns, and leanred all about the prairie and why it's so important to wildlife. Plus we have a Conservation Officer come and talk about laws and ethics and we watched a movie last night. We had movie theater popcorn and watched Miracle! After the Conservation Officer finished up we had them go to their dorm rooms and grab there sleeping bags so they could be comfortable watching. It was a great time. 

Today, we sort of switch gears a bit. Right away this morning after an early breakfast time than normal, 7:00 a.m. they get to learn about game care. We have 100 mallards thet the kids will clean, and then learn about how to prepare wild game. We spend all morning cleaning and preparing duck. Tomorrow the kids will be grilling their ducks and that will be our dinner, plus we have a cooking contest, with actual judges. Each of the four groups, will have a couple from each team approach the judges with there tablefare. The kdis get very creative and it's a lot of fun. 

Back to today, once all the cleaning is complete and marinades are done, the kids will change clothes for the lake, eat a picnic lunch at the barn and then we will board a bus for 10 Mile Lake, about 15 miles from the Learning Center, for our water day. 

It is going to be another great day I hope. It's actually a bit warmer start to the day, albeit a bit more windy too. I will be uploading photo's and videos soon, and hopefully more blogging after we get back from the lake!

Keep the messages for the campers coming, we read them to the kids at each opportunity. 

Until next time, from Woodie Camp..

 Hello from Woodie Camp! The first full day of camp is going very well. The weather is terrific, the kids are better. So far today they have shot BB Guns at moving targets, then moved on to shooting incoming clay targets with the .20 ga shot gun. They have also learned about dog training, Waterfowl 365, learned about aquatic plants and why they are important, goose calling, duck calling, waterfowl ID, and more. At 4:45 we have our start of the Woodie Camp Volleyball tournament, then dinner and wrapping up tonight with first aid and journaling and some more free time, before bed time. Wow, that is a long day, I think they will be worn out tonight and will look forward to another great day tomorrow. 

I will be updating photo's as we go, and hopefully some video's, as well as trying to keep up with the blog.. Thanks for the notes from parents, I will get them to the kids at dinner... Keep them coming!! 

Until next time, from Woodie Camp

 Hello from Woodie Camp! Well Camp has started and its going great. After the parents left, the kdis went into their small group and started to get to know each other. After that was over, half went into intro to shooting, while the other half went into intro to duck calling. After an hour class the groups switched before some free time. When free time was over we had a nice roast beef dinner and now half the kids are in waterfowl ID and the other half are doing outdoor photography. To finish up the first day we have free time at 9:00 for a half hour then it's into the dorm rooms to start getting ready for bed. Tomorrow is a long day and they are predicting beautiful weather! We start off with dog training, shooting and waterfowl 365. 

I will be posting photo's of the day so far, and hopefully some video's tomorrow. 

If you would like to leave a message for your camper, please do so, I will make sure that they get all the notes. 

Until next time, from Woodie Camp

 Well, Woodie Camp is 11 days away! We have 48 kids coming, and over 40 instructors that will all be there during the week. Some of the instructors are there all week, and others are there for shorter periods. At this time we are busy putting room assignments and group assignments together and pulling our camp material all together. Next week we will load the Woodie Camp trailer, and head toward Fergus Falls. One of my favorite parts of the state! If you haven't been to the Fergus Falls area, you really should.. Rolling hills and wetlands everywhere. The location of our camp is the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center, just off of interstate 94. This facility is top notch, from the vistitor center to the walking tails and floating bridges. You quickly realise you are in the Prairie Pothole Region AKA the Duck Factory. 

The campers are due to arrive at 1:00 p.m. on August 12th, after a brief orientation with the parents, we send them on their way and start into our camp. 

This year, like every year we have kids coming from just about every corner of the state. Woodie Camp is a once in a lifetime experience for these kids. They can only attend one time as we have such a great response from kids each year. This year marks our 24th year doing Woodie Camp, and we have had over 900 kids attend! 

We are very much looking forward to the start of camp, and I will be blogging, uploading photo's and video's daily! So, check back often and leave a note for your camper. Once Camp starts, you will have the ability to leave notes that the campers will see daily. 

Until next time...

 Hello, we are just over a month away from the start of Woodie Camp! This is a very exciting time for the volunteers and staff as well as the campers. There is a lot to get ready for this week long camp, so I will be brief! Please let me know if you have any questions prior to camp, you can call or email me, brad.nylin@mnwaterfowl.com / 952-767-0320. 

I have included a link to the Prairie Wetland Learning Center, the location for Woodie Camp. If you have the time, show up early to walk the grounds on August 12th! Here is a link for directions.. http://www.fws.gov/midwest/PWLC/locate.html

Until next time...

Well we are about 2 months from the start of Woodie Camp! This week we sent out all the registration material for all the kids that got excepted into Woodie Camp this year, there is 50 kids that have been excepted this year! We did have a very good amount of applications, and many didn't get selected this year, but hopefully they will re-apply next year and get to enjoy the experience then.

Once all the registration material is filled out the kids will return them to the MWA office at 907 First Street N. Hopkins, MN 55343.  

As I mentioned, we have 50 kids coming to Woodie Camp this year, from all over the state and region. Everything is coming together quickly, and we are all looking forward to the start and meeting all the kids. 

Stay tuned for more details as I will try and update often as we get closer to the start of Camp. 

Until next time...