LITTLE CREEK – Two classes of students, their families, officers, and instructors recently celebrated the end of week-long training programs from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police’s Basic Youth Academies, with graduation ceremonies at DNREC’s Hunter Education Center in Little Creek and Cabela’s in Newark.

At the academy, students ages 12 to 15 acquired skills for boating, fishing, and hunting, and were exposed to the various aspects of a Natural Resources Police officer’s daily routine. For patrol work, they completed field scenarios that included checking deer stands and duck blinds, using a decoy deer to nab poachers in the act, and making contact with visitors to Delaware’s wildlife areas managed by the Division of Fish & Wildlife. They were also given instruction in the safe operation of vessels, and learned about on-the-water enforcement activities.

“Our students are our greatest environmental stewards. This program is geared towards building their knowledge base of some of the things we do at DNREC, while getting them out into the natural resources we are working to protect,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “If we are lucky, maybe we will see some of them joining us as a career.”

“The goal for the academy was to open the outdoor world to these young people, and to share with them who we are and what it means to be a Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police officer,” said Chief Drew Aydelotte, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police. “This group of young people represents the next generation of ethical outdoorsmen and women – and hopefully future officers who will join our ranks.”

Students who completed the Kent County Basic Youth Academy were: Kayla Abbott of Dover; Hayden Argoe of Middletown; Kelly Barr of Smyrna; Justin Boyer of Magnolia; Dominic Garcia of Smyrna; Giovanni George of Smyrna; Damian Grabowski of Marydel; Drew Hatfield of Dover; Justin Jones of Wyoming; Elisabeth Lamon of Smyrna; Cody Layfield of Georgetown; Macy Layfield of Georgetown; Hunter Mitchell of Milford; Aiden Morris of Middletown; Brett Murray of Hartly; Teague Olewiler of Lewes; Gabriel Riddle of Millsboro; Michael Smith of Dover; Emily Smolka of Smyrna; James Stangl of Milford; Matthew Stangl of Milford; Jared Towery of Dover; Madison Tulloch of Wyoming; and Samantha Winter of Smyrna.

Students who completed the New Castle County Basic Youth Academy, held at DNREC’s Ommelanden Hunter Education Training Center in New Castle, were: Andrew Bebbington of Newark; Brandon Brnik-Foote of Newark; Cole Carden of New Castle; Alexander Ferris and Andrew Ferris, both of Elkton, Md.; Jacob Greenwood of Bear; Jacob Kroll of Newark; Charles Malinowski of Delaware City; Rhiannon Mosier of Wilmington; Ramnath Nanthakumar of Bear; Brooke Pase of Clayton; Eamon Rush and Jonas Rush, both of Townsend; Sam Seaman and David Seaman, both of Hockessin; Dylan Serio of New Castle; Liam Stanko of Newark; Xander Tomaseski of Middletown; and Foster Wilkins of Landenberg, Pa.

In addition to all the students earning their certificates for completing boating and hunter education classes at graduation, Natural Resources Police instructors presented awards to five students in each class. For Kent County, Teague Olewiler took home the academy’s leadership award; Aiden Morris was recipient of the sportsmanship award; Hunter Mitchell won the sharpshooting award; Michael Smith the archery award; and Kelly Barr was recognized for fishing skills.

For New Castle County, Brooke Pase took home the leadership award; Xander Tomaseski was recipient of the sportsmanship award; Cole Carden won the sharpshooting award; Sam Seeman the archery award; and Charles Malinowski was recognized for fishing skills.

The Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police also thank the following sponsors who helped make this year’s youth academy possible: Cabela’s; Signature Stitches of Dover; Delaware Chapter of Ducks Unlimited; Quality Deer Management Association; PSC Contracting, Inc.; Chick-fil-A of Dover; Pat’s Pizzeria in Dover; BJ’s Wholesale Club; and Domino’s Pizza of Dover. The last of three youth academy sessions this summer, an advanced class for graduates of last year’s basic academy, is scheduled Aug. 1-5 in New Castle County.

Learn more about DNREC Fish & Wildlife’s Natural Resources Police and the Youth Academy online at dnrec.delaware.gov.

Media Contacts: Lt. John McDerby, Fish & Wildlife Natural Resources Police, 302-739-9913 or 302-354-1386, or Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

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