Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference 2018

AUTHORS. Jarred Brooke, Extension Wildlife Specialist, Purdue University; Mitchell Zischke, Fisheries Scientist, Purdue University

ABSTRACT. Hunting and fishing are socially and economically important recreational activities in the Midwest and the amount of people purchasing land with the primary purpose of conducting these activities has increased over time. Providing educational opportunities to these landowners can be an important step in guiding the management decisions they take to improve their land for fish and wildlife. One such avenue for engaging these landowners is through University Extension publications, field days, and workshops. County Extension Educators have a pulse on the needs and concerns of local stakeholders regarding a variety of agricultural and natural resources topics. We surveyed county-level Purdue Agricultural and Natural Resources Extension Educators across Indiana in order to determine (1) the importance of land and pond management to stakeholders in various counties, (2) determine on-going extension activities related to land and pond management, and (3) determine educators knowledge of land and pond management. We plan to use the results from the survey to guide the development of extension programming related to land and pond management in Indiana. The results of the survey will be discussed in detail.