Field & Stream, the world’s leading outdoor magazine, today announced that Rod Cross of Chambersburg, Pa., has been named a finalist for 2012 Hero of the Year award. Cross, along with six additional honorees, will be celebrated at a gala event in Washington D.C. on October 4, where each will be presented with a $5,000 conservation grant. One honoree will be named Field & Stream’s Conservation Hero of the Year and will walk away with a new Toyota Tundra, all made possible by the generosity and support of Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc. Now in its seventh year, Field & Stream’s Heroes of Conservation program is dedicated to honoring volunteers involved in grassroots projects to preserve the land, water and wildlife vital to sportsman’s pursuits.
A charter member of southwestern Pennsylvania’s chapter of Trout Unlimited before he relocated to the central part of the state, Cross has spent the last seven years as president of the Falling Springs chapter, where he secured $1 million in grant money to fund a trout-habitat overhaul on four half-mile sections of the namesake creek. For 16 years, Cross has also served as operations director for another chapter’s River Conservation and Youth Camp, where he mentors 32 teens. He dedicates weekends to combat-wounded veterans learning to flyfish with Project Healing Waters. “Volunteering has become what I do,” he says.
Cross’s conservation work is currently highlighted in two episodes of Field & Stream’s Heroes of Conservation TV, available at www.FieldandStream.com/heroes. He will also be featured in the October issue of Field & Stream, on newsstands in late September.
“Hunters and fishermen have never been afraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work in the name of protecting America’s wildlife and wild places, and Rod is a great example of that ethos hard at work," says Anthony Licata, Editor of Field & Stream. "Conservation is and will always be an integral part of hunting and fishing and men and women like Rod are crucial to keeping our traditions alive for generations to come.”
The 2012 Field & Stream Heroes of Conservation will be celebrated at the seventh annual Heroes of Conservation Awards Gala, sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, October 4. Each of the heroes will be presented with a $5,000 grant toward their conservation projects and one will be named the 2012 Field & Stream Conservation Hero of the Year and receive the keys to a new Toyota Tundra.
"This is a very important program to Toyota because it acknowledges individuals who go out of their way to make the environment a better place," said Keith Dahl, National Marketing Manager for Toyota. "These people aren't looking for gratitude or recognition. Instead, they work tirelessly because they want to make a difference - for our generation and generations to come. We take great pride in being able to spotlight their efforts on a national stage."
The outstanding conservation efforts of the Heroes of Conservation can be seen in action on Field & Stream’s Heroes of Conservation TV. Each week the program highlights a different honoree’s project, demonstrating their commitment and dedication to the preservation of natural resources. To watch, please visit www.FieldandStream.com/heroes.
Field & Stream has been committed to the preservation of natural resources for more than 100 years. The magazine helped to popularize the term “conservation ethic” in 1907 and in 2005 featured an article titled “Heroes of Conservation,” focused on the local efforts of everyday outdoorsmen. Out of this, a new program was created to recognize sportsmen’s efforts to protect fish and wildlife. Since the introduction of the program, the magazine has been proud to profile and support the conservation efforts of more than 200 men and women.
The Heroes of Conservation Awards are open to individuals involved in a hunting- and/or fishing-related conservation project that is well under way or completed. Selections are based on a number of factors, including leadership, commitment, project growth, and results. One grand prize winner receives a new Toyota Tundra, and a cash prize of $5,000 is awarded to each finalist. For complete details, including rules, regulations, and nomination instructions, please visit www.FieldandStream.com/heroes.
A charter member of southwestern Pennsylvania’s chapter of Trout Unlimited before he relocated to the central part of the state, Cross has spent the last seven years as president of the Falling Springs chapter, where he secured $1 million in grant money to fund a trout-habitat overhaul on four half-mile sections of the namesake creek. For 16 years, Cross has also served as operations director for another chapter’s River Conservation and Youth Camp, where he mentors 32 teens. He dedicates weekends to combat-wounded veterans learning to flyfish with Project Healing Waters. “Volunteering has become what I do,” he says.
Cross’s conservation work is currently highlighted in two episodes of Field & Stream’s Heroes of Conservation TV, available at www.FieldandStream.com/heroes. He will also be featured in the October issue of Field & Stream, on newsstands in late September.
“Hunters and fishermen have never been afraid to roll up their sleeves and get to work in the name of protecting America’s wildlife and wild places, and Rod is a great example of that ethos hard at work," says Anthony Licata, Editor of Field & Stream. "Conservation is and will always be an integral part of hunting and fishing and men and women like Rod are crucial to keeping our traditions alive for generations to come.”
The 2012 Field & Stream Heroes of Conservation will be celebrated at the seventh annual Heroes of Conservation Awards Gala, sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. Inc., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, October 4. Each of the heroes will be presented with a $5,000 grant toward their conservation projects and one will be named the 2012 Field & Stream Conservation Hero of the Year and receive the keys to a new Toyota Tundra.
"This is a very important program to Toyota because it acknowledges individuals who go out of their way to make the environment a better place," said Keith Dahl, National Marketing Manager for Toyota. "These people aren't looking for gratitude or recognition. Instead, they work tirelessly because they want to make a difference - for our generation and generations to come. We take great pride in being able to spotlight their efforts on a national stage."
The outstanding conservation efforts of the Heroes of Conservation can be seen in action on Field & Stream’s Heroes of Conservation TV. Each week the program highlights a different honoree’s project, demonstrating their commitment and dedication to the preservation of natural resources. To watch, please visit www.FieldandStream.com/heroes.
Field & Stream has been committed to the preservation of natural resources for more than 100 years. The magazine helped to popularize the term “conservation ethic” in 1907 and in 2005 featured an article titled “Heroes of Conservation,” focused on the local efforts of everyday outdoorsmen. Out of this, a new program was created to recognize sportsmen’s efforts to protect fish and wildlife. Since the introduction of the program, the magazine has been proud to profile and support the conservation efforts of more than 200 men and women.
The Heroes of Conservation Awards are open to individuals involved in a hunting- and/or fishing-related conservation project that is well under way or completed. Selections are based on a number of factors, including leadership, commitment, project growth, and results. One grand prize winner receives a new Toyota Tundra, and a cash prize of $5,000 is awarded to each finalist. For complete details, including rules, regulations, and nomination instructions, please visit www.FieldandStream.com/heroes.