CLC Convention Recap

On February 24th-26th, 2023 Students with the Conservation Leadership Corps (CLC) attended the Conservation Federation of Missouri's 87th annual convention at the Margaritaville Resort in Lake of the Ozarks. CLC is a program open to juniors in high school to seniors in college who have a vested interest in conservation. Each year, students have the opportunity to attend the convention after putting months of work into their resolutions. The goal of CLC is to provide students with a deeper connection to conservation while giving them a voice in conservation policy-making. Other than writing resolutions for the convention, students network with CFM affiliates and connect with likeminded students, all while gaining valuable communication and leadership skills.

Arriving on Friday, students took part in icebreaker and team-building activities. These activities help students get to know each other and develop leadership skills. Next, Deputy Directors of MDC and DNR spoke and gave students a chance to learn about future job opportunities and ask any questions they might have. At the Award Ceremony that evening, students were given scholarships and graduating students were awarded the Student Conservation Achievement Award. This is awarded to students with at least three years of service in CLC and who attended at least six CLC events.

Most of the time at convention is spent working on the resolution process. This includes editing resolutions at the resolutions committee meeting, preparing to present resolutions, and reading resolutions at the general assembly meeting. In the fall, students began writing resolutions on issues that were important to them. Between then and the convention students researched their topics, met with affiliate organizations, and continued refining their resolutions. Of the ten resolutions that passed the general assembly, five were submitted by CLC.

Continuing from last year's convention, there were six education sessions on Saturday including, archery, photography, pollinators, and relevancy education. A relatively new addition, these educational sessions foster interest in new topics. On Sunday, students took a trip to Ha Ha Tonka State Park. There they participated in an interpretive tour and hike.

Within CLC, I’ve had many amazing opportunities, from developing leadership and public speaking skills, to connecting with professionals in the natural resources field, and now as CLC President for the 2023 - 2024 term. This program is incredibly important, and I would like to thank all those who donated their time and money to make it happen. CLC gives young people a voice in conservation, and as long as the CLC students are attending the convention, the future of conservation is in safe hands.