Tuesday, September 16, 1997

Tony Baeza and Gary Franke honored in Washington ceremonies

By J.T. SMITH / Farm Editor

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman honored Antonio "Tony" L. Baeza of Breckenridge and Gary L. Franke of Albany in recent ceremonies in Washington, D.C.

Baeza and Franke were recognized for their innovative approaches to educate high school students in the "Bobwhite Brigade."

Baeza is district conservationist for USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service in Breckenridge and formerly a conservationist in Callahan County. Franke is with the USDA-NRCS office in Albany.

Baeza and Franke were lauded for demonstrating leadership skills along with personal and professional excellence.

Bobwhite Brigade highly popular with youth

The Bobwhite Brigade is a conservation education program aimed at training high school youth in wildlife management of bobwhite quail while also developing their leadership skills.

Cadets of the Brigade undergo a rigorous curriculum of "hands-on" instruction in the field. Leadership development is the goal behind everything that is taught from teamwork to public speaking.

Though the course focuses on managing bobwhite quail, cadets also learn how humans interact with wildlife resources to affect a habitat.

Baeza and Franke have helped organize the annual camp the last five years.

They spend 20 hours a day serving as instructors, cooks, and doing whatever is required to make the camp function efficiently. After completion of each year's camp - on their own time - Baeza and Franke also served as mentors to cadets who needed assistance in completing programs and projects.

The two manage to work with the youngsters, while still providing assistance to farmers and ranchers in Stephens and Shackelford counties. They have exceeded their goals every year along with improving, running, and following up on the camp every year.

An example of agencies working together

Dr. Dale Rollins, Texas A&M wildlife specialist who launched the Bobwhite Brigade program, praised Baeza and Franke and USDA for the strong support that USDA-NRCS has given to the Brigade effort.

Rollins expressed deep appreciation to USDA for its role since the Brigade's inception. The San Angelo-based specialist said the Bobwhite Brigade is a solid example of different agencies cooperating together to achieve clear results.