High School graduates do not always have a plan for what they want to do next. Hayden Frazer’s plan has been in development for several years. Together with his life experiences in the field of conservation, several years of leadership training, and his academic record, he has been able to secure a full scholarship to the university of his choice.

Hayden grew up in a hunting and fishing family. He expressed the significance of that circumstance by remarking: “Both activities have opened my eyes to how important taking care of our world is, and I strongly believe passing on the traditions of hunting and fishing is one of the best things I can do to ignite people’s interest in conservation.”

He understands, however, that not everyone comes from a family with a hunting and fishing heritage or from one that has an interest in advocating for conservation. Individuals who lack this kind of support, may feel at a loss for how to get started in conservation. Hayden’s advice is: “Put yourself out there even if you don’t have any friends or connections in the field, and you’ll find a group or groups of people that share interests with you.” 

He suggests joining a local scouting troop, a school conservation club, or a community volunteer group. Use the internet to research conservation groups and look for opportunities to get involved. There are always opportunities to participate in activities like environmental clean-up of waterways and public spaces or removing invasive species.

With both of his parents working in science-based fields, Hayden has learned to enjoy looking for scientific explanations for phenomena he encounters in nature. His family’s eagerness to volunteer in community programs is also something that he is proud of and inspired by. This led him to get involved with Boy Scouts and subsequently with Pheasants Forever.

For his Eagle Scout project, Hayden installed two permanent, interpretive markers about the importance of native plants and rain gardens at a local beach with a native wetland. His motivation was to provide conservation awareness and advocacy. He acknowledges, “Scouting has given me the tools to be an advocate for wildlife, and teaching younger scouts about the significance of advocating for the environment has been an amazing experience.” 

When the Southeast Wisconsin Chapter of Pheasants Forever nominated him and he was elected to the Pheasants Forever National Youth Leadership Council, he took his next step as a leader for conservation. This select group of young men and women learned how politics meshes with conservation. Delegates from this group were sent to Washington to help lobby for important environmental programs like the Farm Bill, which include provisions for increasing the number of acres of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), which allows farmers to be paid to put unproductive crop land into habitat for wildlife and into buffer zones against erosion. 

Hayden now treasures the lasting friendships he made with other council members across the country and states that, “Being around young conservationists from states across the U.S. is amazing because you can learn so much about how the same activities, like hunting and fishing, are different wherever you go.”

Hayden Frazer has leveraged these accomplishments into a full scholarship to Norwich University in Vermont, where he will major in biology while he pursues a career of service to his country as an officer in the United States Navy. While at Norwich he intends to look for opportunities to do fieldwork in conservation, and to get involved with a local Boy Scout group. 

Gary Krukar is a freelance writer and photographer whose work has appeared in various magazines including: Pointing Dog Journal, Retriever Journal, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever Journal, and Sporting Classics Daily. His favorite topics and subjects are upland bird hunting, birddogs, and conservation issues. 

Gary Krukar

Gary Krukar is a freelance writer and photographer whose work has appeared in various magazines including: Pointing Dog Journal, Retriever Journal, Pheasants Forever & Quail Forever Journal, and Sporting Classics Daily. His favorite topics and subjects are upland bird hunting, birddogs, and conservation issues.