Waterways for Wildlife: Volunteer Spotlight

From building local partnerships and securing funds to helping advance conservation projects on the ground, their dedication to restoring vital riparian areas in the Great Plains is leaving the land better for wild turkeys and the overall ecosystem.

Launched in 2022, the 10-year Waterways for Wildlife Initiative aims to improve the health and vigor of riparian areas on at least 75,000 acres. This ambitious plan will enhance 1,500 linear miles of rivers and streams in the American Great Plains, stretching from North Dakota to South Texas.

For the NWTF’s 2026 Conservation Week, we are putting a spotlight on a few outstanding individuals who go above and beyond to move the effort forward.

For more than 20 years, Westmoland has dedicated his time and energy to the NWTF, driven by a lifelong commitment to conservation, clean water and introducing new generations to the outdoors.

An avid hunter and fisherman, Westmoland's conservation ethic is closely tied to his professional career. Having spent more than 25 years working in Oklahoma's water industry, he understands firsthand the critical connection between healthy waterways, wildlife habitat and quality of life. That perspective has shaped both his career and his volunteer service, making NWTF's Waterways for Wildlife Initiative a natural fit.

"Water is life," he said. "I've always been conservation-minded. Being a hunter and a fisherman, I know the value of what NWTF does for not only the turkeys, but all of our wildlife."

Westmoland began his involvement as a local chapter member before eventually serving as chapter president. In recent years, he helped establish a new chapter in an Oklahoma community that needed one, expanding the organization's reach and impact. Today, he serves as president of the Oklahoma NWTF State Chapter, helping guide conservation investments, Super Fund allocations and habitat improvement projects across the state.

For Westmoland, however, the most meaningful part of the NWTF mission is youth engagement. He believes the future of hunting and conservation depends on introducing young people to the outdoors and helping them develop a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and habitat.

"What drives me is kids," he said. "If we're not teaching kids how to hunt and fish and respect the wildlife, then we're going to lose our hunting heritage."

Through Oklahoma's annual turkey camp program, Westmoland and fellow volunteers mentor youth hunters, teaching everything from turkey biology and hunting ethics to firearm safety and outdoor skills before taking them afield during the state's youth turkey season.

While Westmoland is proud of the habitat work, research projects and wildlife management area improvements supported by Oklahoma NWTF volunteers, he says the greatest rewards come from watching a young hunter experience the outdoors for the first time. Whether or not a turkey is harvested, those moments help build the next generation of conservationists and ensure hunting traditions continue well into the future.

Dillon Taylor's journey with the NWTF began in 2021, but his passion for wild turkeys stretches back much further. Raised near Tulsa, Oklahoma, Taylor harvested his first turkey with his father in 2002, an experience that "lit a fire" in him and sparked a lifelong obsession with the bird.

After years of attending local NWTF banquets, Taylor reached a point where he felt called to do more. He volunteered with his local Athens, Texas, chapter and quickly became deeply involved.

"I just finally felt like I could do more and wanted to do more," he said.

Within a year, he stepped into the role of chapter president and was invited to join the Texas NWTF State Chapter, where he now helps guide conservation investments, oversees scholarships, coordinates state calling contests and supports mission delivery across the state.

"I felt honored that they saw the potential in me to do more for the state," he said.

Professionally, Taylor works as a wildlife manager in East Texas, where he helps manage thousands of acres of habitat and works alongside partners involved in the region's eastern wild turkey restoration efforts. Through prescribed fire, habitat improvements and cooperation with state wildlife agencies, he has witnessed firsthand the long-term work required to restore turkey populations across the landscape.

"At first it was just kind of a passion for chasing the bird and hunting the bird, but since I started my job here in Texas and have been able to work directly with parks and wildlife and the landowners here on this restocking initiative, it totally changed the way I look at the wild turkey," he said.

For Taylor, volunteering has transformed how he views wild turkeys. What began as a passion for hunting has evolved into a commitment to stewardship, conservation and ensuring future generations have the same opportunities he enjoyed.

One of his most meaningful experiences as a volunteer came this past spring when he guided several youth hunters on their first successful turkey hunts through NWTF-supported programs. Watching those young hunters experience the excitement of harvesting their first birds reinforced the importance of outreach and mentorship.

Looking ahead, Taylor is optimistic about the future of wild turkey conservation. He's especially excited about youth outreach initiatives, habitat improvement efforts and research programs that seek to better understand and address turkey population challenges. Whether through fundraising, habitat management or mentorship, Taylor remains committed to ensuring wild turkeys and hunting traditions thrive across Texas for generations to come.

Custar exemplifies what it means to be an NWTF volunteer, serving as his chapter's treasurer while consistently stepping up to handle the behind-the-scenes work that keeps two annual banquets running successfully, including one dedicated to raising funds for their annual JAKES Day youth event. He and his wife, Calee, have instilled a passion for the outdoors and conservation in their children, Jordy and Jansen, who actively volunteer alongside them at chapter events. Custar's selfless leadership, dedication to mentoring the next generation and commitment to making the NWTF mission a family effort make him an outstanding representative of the organization.

His passion for conservation and hunting began early. Growing up in northwest Oklahoma, he started hunting at age 12 and harvested his first turkey at 14, an experience that left him "absolutely hooked." Now 36 and living in south-central Kansas, he's carried that passion into adulthood and is passing it on to his 8-year-old son, who has already harvested four turkeys in Kansas and Oklahoma.

Although Custar had long supported conservation organizations, his involvement with the NWTF began in 2023 after he and his wife attended a Slate Creek Gobblers Chapter banquet they discovered on Facebook. Before the event, Custar called chapter president Rick Ware to ask if he could help. That simple act of volunteering led to an invitation to a committee meeting, and before long, Custar found himself serving as the chapter treasurer. Since then, his role has continued to grow as he became more deeply involved in chapter events, banquets and mission delivery.

For Custar, one of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering is the chapter's annual JAKES Day, which draws dozens of youth from the local community each year. While many attendees come from hunting families, Custar is especially inspired by children who have never fished, hunted or handled outdoor equipment before. Seeing those kids gain confidence, discover new interests and light up with excitement after just a few hours outdoors reinforces why the event matters.

"The real reward for me is engaging kids that have never picked up a gun in their life and have never cast a worm in the water," he said. "That's kind of what these events are for, and that's what really drives us."

Custar is equally passionate about habitat conservation. Inspired by messages from NWTF leaders and conservation professionals, he transformed a five-acre grass field on his property into a wildflower habitat. Within a year, he witnessed dramatic results, including quail, butterflies and even turkeys appearing where he had never seen them before. The experience convinced him that meaningful conservation can happen at any scale.

"It's been so cool to see in a few years what just doing a little bit of habitat management can do," he said. "If you've got a thousand acres or if you've got a 20-yard by 20-yard piece of dirt in your backyard, man, it doesn't matter what you're doing, just do something."

Looking ahead, Custar is most excited about growing his chapter's JAKES Day program and continuing to introduce young people to the outdoors while supporting the habitat work that benefits wildlife across Kansas and beyond.

Barrow has spent nearly three decades blending her passion for wildlife conservation, education and wild turkey management through both her career with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and her volunteer service with the NWTF.

Barrow first became involved with the NWTF in the mid-1990s while working as a wildlife technician in East Texas. A local NWTF JAKES event sparked her interest, combining two things she loves most: conservation and teaching people about the outdoors. Since then, she has remained deeply involved, eventually helping establish a chapter in Decatur, Texas, where she has served as chapter president ever since.

Professionally, Barrow serves as a wildlife biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife, conducting game surveys, working with landowners on habitat management, managing research projects and trapping wild turkeys. Throughout her career, she's had the unique opportunity to see the NWTF mission from both sides. She helps raise conservation dollars through chapter events and then watches those same funds support habitat projects, research efforts and turkey management programs she helps implement on the ground.

While Barrow is passionate about research and habitat work, her greatest fulfillment comes through outreach. She regularly donates turkey hunts to chapter fundraisers, mentors youth hunters, hosts women's hunting opportunities and works to introduce new people to the outdoors. Whether helping a child harvest a first turkey or empowering women who have never hunted before, she believes those experiences create lifelong connections to conservation.

When asked what drives her to volunteer her time, Barrow responded, "Just empowering women to be outdoors and to see that they can do these things."

One of her most memorable NWTF experiences involved guiding a disabled hunter who, after a life-changing heart attack, never thought he'd hunt turkeys again. Through determination and support from family and volunteers, both he and his wife harvested their first birds together, creating a moment Barrow still considers one of the most rewarding of her conservation career.

"He didn't think he'd ever be able to hunt or get another turkey," she said. "Through the NWTF, that's probably my best hunting memory ever."

For Barrow, the NWTF is ultimately about people. By combining science, habitat management and outreach, she continues to help ensure future generations can experience the same outdoor traditions and opportunities that have shaped her own life.

For Zimmerman, volunteering with the NWTF is about far more than hosting successful banquets. It's about building a stronger future for conservation, supporting youth programs and creating sustainable ways to grow the organization's impact.

"There's just so many aspects that benefit the public in general, and that's why I enjoy it," he said. "I'm more in it for the conservation and getting more people involved and the kids, because I know that when you improve land for turkeys, you're also improving it for other wildlife."

Zimmerman and his wife Cathy began attending NWTF banquets around 2006 and became deeply involved in volunteer leadership when they helped establish a chapter in Montgomery County, Texas, in 2017. Drawing on his background in sales and business development, Zimmerman approached chapter leadership with a strategic mindset, setting ambitious goals centered on membership growth and fundraising for conservation. Those efforts quickly paid off, earning national recognition and establishing a pattern of success that has continued through multiple chapters and communities.

After relocating to Victoria, Texas, Zimmerman partnered with chapter president Matt Olsen and communications leader Paul Korthuis to launch a new chapter in 2023. Their chapter has become one of the most successful in the country, generating significant funds for conservation while consistently achieving national-level benchmarks.

Although Zimmerman isn't a turkey hunter himself, he is passionate about the broader conservation mission. He believes that habitat improvements for wild turkeys benefit countless other species and create lasting opportunities for hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts. He is particularly committed to engaging young people and building community partnerships that introduce new audiences to the NWTF.

One of his chapter's most innovative efforts is a locally produced fundraising calendar that features photos submitted by youth and is sold through organizations like 4-H shooting sports clubs and youth baseball programs. The initiative helps young people raise money for their own activities while simultaneously supporting conservation and introducing new families to the NWTF mission.

For Zimmerman, success is measured not by awards, but by the impact those accomplishments represent. By growing membership, increasing conservation funding and expanding outreach efforts, he hopes to ensure the NWTF continues making a difference for wildlife and communities across Texas for years to come.

For more than a decade, Pearson has dedicated his time to advancing the NWTF mission in Nebraska, with a particular focus on youth engagement, conservation education and community service.

Pearson's path into the NWTF began through family. His stepfather and uncle were involved with the local chapter, and their passion for conservation helped draw him into volunteer service. While he initially started by helping with local chapter activities, what truly inspired him to become more involved was the chapter's commitment to giving back through programs that support the local communities.

Today, Pearson serves as both the treasurer of the NWTF Turkey Creek Strutters Chapter and the Nebraska NWTF State Chapter, helping guide fundraising efforts and conservation investments across the state.

Although he appreciates the banquet side of the organization, he says his greatest passion lies in outreach, particularly programs that introduce young people and first-time participants to the outdoors.

One of Shannon's favorite volunteer activities is operating the NWTF's BB-gun shooting trailer at youth events, 4-H gatherings and community outdoor days. Seeing children safely shoot for the first time and watching their excitement grow is a powerful reminder of why the mission matters. He believes those early experiences help create future hunters, conservationists and advocates for wildlife habitat.

"If we don't get kids involved and get the kids brought up right into this way of thinking, we're going to lose it," he said. "If we could spark an interest in kids doing that and getting their parents involved, then I think that's a big step forward."

Pearson's commitment to mentoring extends beyond youth programs. As a military veteran, he is actively involved with programs that provide outdoor experiences for fellow veterans. Whether helping a veteran harvest a first turkey or introducing a child to shooting sports, he sees every experience as an opportunity to preserve the outdoor lifestyle and the conservation values that support it.

For Pearson, the future of conservation depends on the next generation. His volunteer work is rooted in the belief that if young people are not connected to the outdoors, they will never fully understand the importance of conservation. That's what continues to motivate his service and keep him actively involved in the NWTF.