The Ozarks, known for their natural beauty and outdoor recreation, are a home and destination for fishermen, hunters and campers alike. Hearing dozens of gunshots ring out over a shooting range or conservation area may not be out of the ordinary, but on Tuesday, Jan. 20, gaggles of seventh and eighth graders were the ones pulling the triggers.
Students from Westport K-8 and Cherokee and Carver middle schools spent the day at the Andy Dalton Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center as part of their outdoor awareness class curriculum in partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation. Over the course of four weeks, fifth graders in the Wonders of the Ozarks Learning Facility, or WOLF, program and middle schoolers from different schools across Springfield Public Schools are learning to properly hold shotguns and go on their own pheasant hunts.
The day started with a safety briefing — with MDC staff teaching the proper stance when shooting, the necessary safety equipment, types of ammunition and other pertinent information. As a prerequisite, all students had to have taken and passed hunter education in advance of the field trip…