Tradition: It’s in our nature

By Phil Bloom

That’s the theme for the 80th annual OWAA conference scheduled for June 16-19, 2007, in Roanoke, Va., so it’s only appropriate that the keynote speaker will be Richard Louv, author of the critically acclaimed book Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children From Nature Deficit Disorder.

A review of Last Child in Scientific American magazine said, “According to Louv, the replacement of open meadows, woods and wetlands by manicured lawns, golf courses and housing developments has led children away from the natural world. What little time they spend outside is on designer playgrounds or fenced yards and is structured, safe and isolating. Such antiseptic spaces provide little opportunity for exploration, imagination or peaceful contemplation. … What Louv adds is a focus on the restorative qualities of nature for children. He recommends that we reacquaint our children and ourselves with nature through hiking, fishing, bird-watching and disorganized, creative play. By doing so, he argues, we may lessen the frequency and severity of emotional and mental ailments and come to recognize the importance of preserving nature.”

The remainder of the Roanoke program is shaping up as a solid combination of newsmakers, panel discussions, technology sessions and craft-improvement workshops. Several items still are being negotiated, but here’s an early look at some of the reasons you need to be in Roanoke next summer:

• Saturday’s Registration Day will have the traditional supporting member displays and Editor-Writer One-on-One opportunities to pitch story ideas, but two new items are a Technology Showcase and The Taxman Cometh.

• Michael Furtman, chair of the Technology Committee, is helping develop the Technology Showcase that will feature hands-on sessions with computers, cameras and other gadgets.

• “The Taxman Cometh” is a catchy tag for putting OWAA members in touch with Roanoke-area tax consultants for some free advice on what is a deductible expense … and what isn’t.

• One of the early workshop highlights – “Science, the Public and the Outdoor Communicator” – is being arranged by Mary Nickum.

• Sunday morning’s schedule includes the keynote address by Richard Louv followed by a panel discussion titled “Why Can’t We Get Along: Resolving Conflicts Between Anglers, Hunters and Environmentalists.”

But that’s not all.

• Sunday afternoon will feature a concentrated, four-and-a-half-hour block of workshops organized by OWAA’s four sections: Newspaper, Photography, Radio and TV/Video.

• Photo Section Head Alex Zidock has lined up sessions on “Photoshopping a Photo,” “Scanning 35-mm Slides – Dos and Don’ts,” “Selling to a Stock Photo Agency” and “Organizing Your Digital Library.”

• Newspaper Section Co-Heads Mark Freeman and Mark Taylor have scheduled sessions on “Building an Advertising Revenue Plan for the Outdoors Page,” “Using Public Records to Find Outdoors Stories” and a panel discussion titled “How Did You Do That?,” in which reporters will explain the steps they took to complete a challenging project.

• Radio Section Head Eric Hirsch and TV/Video Section Head Ron Schara are busy tweaking final plans for their respective groups. Stay tuned for details!

Monday will give us an opportunity to put Louv’s suggestions into practice, because we’re heading outdoors for Breakout Day activities in the morning at Green Hill Park and Shooting Program activities at the Roanoke Regional Firearms Training Center in the afternoon.

Although the events are at different locations, the two sites are minutes apart by chartered bus. Lunch will be served in between sessions at Green Hill Park.

As an added attraction, Supporting Member Liaison Scott Stouder is developing a fun-filled competition as part of Breakout/Shooting Day to test your outdoor skills. It has all the makings of a new OWAA tradition.

If by Tuesday you haven’t learned something new, you’re bound to this afternoon with a series of lively workshops aimed at improving your reporting and writing skills.

Other panel discussions on the agenda will cover a broad array of topics sure to generate story material for OWAA members: Virginia’s success with brook trout restoration; the past, present and future of camouflage; roadless areas; the latest on the 2007 Farm Bill and its conservation implications; the National Park Service – assessing its status and future; and coping with black bears in the backyard.

And guess what? We’re not finished. Phil Bloom is OWAA’s second vice president and chair of the Roanoke, Va., conference. He currently is finalizing the Roanoke agenda and welcomes input and suggestions from OWAA members. Contact Bloom at pbloom@jg.net. For more information on OWAA’s conference, visit www.owaa.org.