Youth Ambassadors

“My mission as an angler is to make sure everyone understands how important conservation is and how we can help to make the world a better place. I strive to inform everyone about exploitation of natural resources and help people see through the eyes of someone who care a lot. I hope that my efforts can make an impact on people so they can help advocate for the things that can’t advocate for themselves.”

“I have been snorkeling my whole life, and I have noticed how pollution and sunscreen has had a big effect on ocean wildlife and coral. I want to alert people about how certain types of sunscreen used can kill coral depending on what chemicals it has in it.”

“Conservation is important to me because we live in nature. We have to take care of our natural resources so we have a place to fish, swim, and enjoy.”

“So many people make a living on the water. So many good captains and guides depend on the healthy environment. When the waters are in trouble, like when we see the discharges that kill so many fish, all the captains, guides and people who depend on the water for work are affected. People travel to areas to fish and the local small economies depend on the tourism that is often based on water quality.”

“To me as an angler, conservation means protecting fish populations and their ecosystem so that the next generation can learn to love fishing as much as I do."

“As anglers, we need to do our best to protect our fisheries by promoting conservation of our natural resources, so I have made it a goal for myself to do my part in trying to clean up these environments, and to encourage others to understand the need and join me in doing what we can to take care of the earth.”

"My passion for conservation fuels everything I do, from fly fishing to research, and I know I can make a real difference."

“I fish for all the fishless days, and I fish for the days with awful weather so that I appreciate the good weather days. In that way, fishing has made me appreciate every sunny day, every fish I catch, and every goal I reach.”

“It is very important to me that the natural resources we use and enjoy today will be protected for tomorrow. We should cautiously and wisely protect our waters and other limited natural resources while keeping them accessible and respected.”

“If we don’t protect our local waters and environment by preventing overfishing and pollution, there will eventually be no fish left to fish for and no waters clean enough to swim in.”

“I believe that getting our community more involved and educating younger generations about ocean conservation is crucial to ensuring the stability of our oceans for the future.”

"As a fisherwoman and a scuba diver, I have seen firsthand what pollution has done to our oceans and waters, especially our reefs and fisheries. We must protect our natural resources to preserve the beauty and, more importantly, to preserve our ecosystems and the health of this planet.”

"I went on a family vacation where I found straws and other trash on the beach. Leaving the beach and returning home to a landlocked state was an odd feeling of hopelessness. How could I do anything from Tennessee? Then, I learned about how polluted and compromised our freshwater ecosystems are. I knew then, I could do something."

By constantly pushing ourselves to practice what we preach and to support other conservation efforts, we can ensure future generations have the chance to cast their lines into healthy fisheries and waterways.

“The ability to preserve our natural resources can allow our fisheries and ecosystems to be healthy for future generations to come, but in order to do this our generation needs to take initiative and cherish our natural resources.”