The Hoosier Heritage Youth Foundation ("HHYF") is a non-profit organization formed in 2005.  The Foundation is the vision of a group of residents of Southern Indiana who grew up learning the wonders of the wild, who spent their adult lives enjoying the great outdoors and who now want to ensure that future generations are afforded the same opportunity.  Recognizing the dwindling natural resources throughout our nation and the difficulties this poses to the continuance of such enjoyment, these individuals formed the Foundation to ensure conservation and responsible stewardship of those resources so they may accrue to the youth of Indiana.

The Foundation engaged Return to Nature, Inc. to form the nucleus of its educational program at the elementary school level.  This Lynchburg, Virginia-based organization has partnered with the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation to develop a conservation education program for schools in Virginia.  This program is designed to expose students and teachers to the natural environment for the purpose of developing resource stewardship.  Primarily designed for the third through sixth grade levels, Return to Nature Indiana intersects science standards of learning topics with natural resource conservation. The use of wildlife photography, quality taxidermy, wildlife calls and live animals in the classroom not only educates but entertains.

HHYF is currently developing a more focused and targeted educational program for high school level for those who are interested in seeking a profession or vocation in natural resource management or a related field.  This educational program is presently being developed as curriculum in high school agriculture classes, which will include management of forestry areas, food plots for wildlife, and the analysis of soils, wetlands, and other related activities.

 HHYF Goals

1. Educating adults as well as our youth to understand and appreciate the importance of conserving nature’s abundant gifts;

2. Acquiring land suitable to conduct conservation education;

3. Imparting an understanding for respect of the land and why it must be managed with good stewardship practices.

4. Working with corporations, governments, and private individuals to support the HHYF mission;

5. Enhancing existing habitat to increase the opportunities future generations have to experience outdoor adventures;

6. Providing opportunity for economic development within the region, through tourism and recreation thereby creating well-paying jobs;

7. Using our Foundation as a template for other conservation efforts within the state;

8. Preparing future generations to assume the responsibility of managing this project and improving on our efforts.