For Immediate Release
For more information, contact: Brian Dowler, 803-637-3106.
Oct. 4, 2007
 NWTF
Names Casada 2007 Communicator of the Year
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – From books about hunting wild turkeys to fly
fishing in the Great Smoky Mountains to telling the life stories of
outdoor legends Archibald Rutledge, Robert Ruark and many others, Jim
Casada has been sharing outdoor tips, tactics and tales for much of his
professional career.
During the annual Southeastern Annual Press Association (SEOPA)
conference, Oct. 3 to Oct. 6, in Little Rock, Ark., Casada was presented
with the National Wild Turkey Federation’s Communicator of the Year
Award.
“Jim has been a friend to the NWTF and to the outdoor community for
many years and through his articles has shared a lifetime of outdoor
adventures,” said Rob Keck, NWTF CEO. “He has helped us put a white hat
on hunters and has grabbed our attention over and over to keep us
excited about the outdoors. He is very deserving of this prestigious
award.”
Each year, the NWTF recognizes a communicator who answers the call to
promote wild turkey hunting and embraces the preservation of North
America’s hunting heritage, both important to the Federation’s mission.
Casada, a communicator from Rock Hill, S.C., is probably one of the
best-known outdoor writers, having written for nearly every major
outdoor magazine and been involved with numerous books related to the
outdoors.
Growing up in Bryson City, N.C., Casada made his way fishing the
rivers and hunting the hills of the Smokies. He has dedicated his life
to hunting, the enjoyment of the outdoors and sharing stories of his
experiences.
Casada began his career as a history professor at Winthrop University
in Rock Hill. While at Winthrop, he was recognized as the 1983
Distinguished Professor.
Through the years, Casada has received other numerous awards:
- Southeastern Outdoor Press Association’s Tom Rollins Award
- Outdoor Writer’s Association of America’s J. Hammond Brown
Memorial Award
- Recognized by the S.C. Wildlife Federation as the state’s
outstanding conservation communicator
- Winner of more than 125 state, regional and national awards for
writing and photography
It’s not uncommon to see Casada’s name under article titles in many
of the NWTF’s magazines, such as Turkey Call or Get in the Game, as well
as other turkey hunting publications. As an avid turkey hunter, he has
seen and killed many turkeys. To remember each hunt, he writes a short
story on a piece of paper and sticks it in each spent shell.
Thirty years ago, when wild turkey populations were just beginning to
rebound, you would have had a hard time finding an article about turkey
hunting. Thanks to communicators like Casada, today, you don’t have to
look very hard to find articles, magazines, books and television shows
devoted specifically to the sport. Hunters by the millions have taken to
the fields and forests to pursue North America’s grandest game bird.
Past NWTF Communicator of the Year Award recipients include; Tom
Fegely (2002), Ron Schara (2003), J. Wayne Fears (2004), Grits Gresham
(2005) and Jim Zumbo (2006).
To learn more about Jim Casada and his accomplishments, visit
www.jimcasadaoutdoors.com.
For more information about the NWTF and the Communicator of the Year
award, visit www.nwtf.org or call
800-THE-NWTF.
About the NWTF: In 1973, when the National Wild Turkey Federation was
founded, there were an estimated 1.3 million wild turkeys and 1.5
million turkey hunters. Thanks to the work of wildlife agencies and the
NWTF’s many volunteers and partners, today there are more than 7 million
wild turkeys and nearly 3 million turkey hunters. Since 1985, the NWTF
and its cooperators have spent more than $258 million upholding hunting
traditions and conserving more than 13.1 million acres of wildlife
habitat.
The NWTF is a nonprofit organization with 584,000 members in 50
states, Canada, Mexico and 14 other foreign countries. It supports
scientific wildlife management on public, private and corporate lands as
well as wild turkey hunting as a traditional North American sport.
For more information about the NWTF, call (800)-THE-NWTF or visit
www.nwtf.org. |
