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The Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation (WBWF) recently received a $20,000 donation from the Virginia Forestry Educational Foundation (VFEF) to help with the foundation’s newest outreach program.

The WBWF, located in Halifax and founded by former NASCAR driver and avid outdoorsman Ward Burton, began the Next Generation Outreach Program in early 2019, which brings in classroom instruction about natural resource conservation to students in the Commonwealths public school system.

Ken Morgan, VFEF Chairman and president of Morgan Lumber Company, located in Charlotte County, along with Brad Fuller, VFEF board member, presented Burton with the donation.

“One of the major components of the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation (WBWF) is helping Virginia’s youth recognize and better understand the reality of the natural environment, the WBWF website cites. “With the passing of time, more and more youngsters in America are becoming isolated from the outdoors, and social media and electronic gaming have influenced the next generation to relish a more sedentary lifestyle.”

According to Sue Adams, program coordinator with the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation to kick off this particular organizational outreach effort, the foundation purchased a truck and travel trailer, loaded it with education props, and began delivering the message to schools across the Commonwealth.

“During 2019, nearly 20,000 students and teachers in 119 rural Virginia schools across 30 cities and counties received the Next Generation Outreach message,” Adams said.

With the donation from VFEF, the foundation is expected to continue its outreach program to include more urban area schools this year.

There is no cost to schools to be a part of the outreach program.

For more information, contact the WBWF at (434) 476-7038.