I Am Conservation

Sara Bradshaw enjoys trapping with her husband, Brandon, and daughter, Hadley, on family land near Cape Girardeau. The middle school science teacher “lives, eats, and breathes conservation,” according to Cape Girardeau Conservation Nature Center Manager Sara Turner. Bradshaw started hunting at age 10. “My dad and my uncles inspired me to start hunting at a young age,” said Bradshaw. “They took me shooting and showed me the love of the land and how to properly harvest animals.” Bradshaw also loves sharing hunting and conservation with others, and she does so through involvement with a variety of outreach programs including the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Women in the Outdoors and Wheelin’ Sportsman programs. “I have noticed that more and more of her female relatives have started hunting, which I think has something to do with her encouragement,” said Turner. For Bradshaw, hunting and trapping are important. “I love being in the outdoors with family and friends, and for the learning and adventure of each trip,” said Bradshaw. “These are things that cannot be bought. I love to care for the land and animals so that future generations can also enjoy them. I also love the challenge of becoming a better hunter and trapper by learning each species of animal and becoming more knowledgeable of the details and habits of each animal that I am hunting or trapping. If it has a season, we enjoy harvesting it!”

 —photograph by David Stonner