A Great Start on Forever: May 2007
A profile of a person making a difference to the future of conservation
Toby Buck believes in Pheasants Forever's mission, and in leading by example.
He knows that it will take resources to ensure conservation legacy is passed on through generations, which is why Buck and his wife Donna have made a $1 million financial commitment to PF, the single largest philanthropic donation to the national non-profit conservation organization in its 25-year history. Buck becomes PF's first "Habitat Champion" - a donor who has committed at least $1 million to the organization. In alignment with Buck's wishes, PF will utilize the funds to further their youth and education efforts.
An avid and lifelong outdoorsman, Buck has a long association with PF and is one of PF's charter life members. He grew up as a pheasant hunter in Goodhue, Minnesota and still maintains a relationship with the Goodhue County PF Chapter despite having moved to Indiana years ago. In Indiana, Buck founded the Tippe River Basin Chapter of PF in 1995 and served as its president for the first three years. He is also currently serving his second term on PF's National Board of Directors.
Buck has earmarked his donation for PF to use the funds for youth education and the organization's education arm, the Leopold Education Project. "We have a responsibility to give back what we can to ensure that future generations take interest in the outdoors and conservation, and Pheasants Forever's work with youth education makes that possible," Buck said. "I shot my first pheasant when I was 9 years old," he said, "I would like my sons, grandsons and others to have similar experiences, to walk the ground I have walked and to enjoy wildlife in the way I have."
In 2006, Buck also contributed $100,000 to Minnesota's Build-A-Wildlife Area (BAWA) partnership, which funds the acquisition of new Minnesota Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) open to public hunting. Buck's donation helped acquire a 159-acre parcel of land in his native Goodhue County, which will be dedicated in his Father's name this August as the Wayne Willis Buck WMA.
If you have story ideas, dog photos, pre-1980 hunting photos and requests for future On The Wing consideration, please send correspondence to ahauck@pheasantsforever.org.
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