SIMMONS FIRST NATIONAL BANK: The Nature Conservancy Arkansas Chapter Receives $150,000 Donation from Simmons First Foundation

By Press release submission

Aug 17, 2021

Simmons First National Bank issued the following announcement on Aug. 12.

Simmons First Foundation announced a $150,000 donation to The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Arkansas. The gift will support the chapter’s Youth Engagement Program and aid in efforts to restore wildlife habitat in the natural state through controlled burn.

“Simmons First Foundation is proud to support the mission and vision of The Nature Conservancy,” said Tommy May, chairman of the Simmons First Foundation. “With this donation, we want to ensure future generations connect with nature and learn to preserve our environment so that it may be enjoyed for years to come.”

Simmons First Foundation designated $110,000 of the gift to support TNC’s Youth Engagement Program (YEP) designed to inspire future conservationists and cultivate leadership and other skills through outdoor, recreation-based programs. TNC partners with other non-profits, agencies, schools, and community groups to meet youth where they are and offer fun, safe, recreation-based field experiences such as hiking, biking, paddling and fishing. For many youths, it is their first time experiencing the outdoors and connecting with nature in this way. Examples of programs include:

The Bryant Boys & Girls Club summer adventure series to introduce youth to outdoor activities and skills, such as camping, kayaking and fishing
An after-school bike club and clinic for 6th graders at Horace Mann Middle School in Little Rock to learn introductory mountain biking skills
Working with Girl Scouts – Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas on opportunities to earn new badges for skills such as canoeing and backcountry readiness
Working with Immerse Arkansas to provide new outdoor experiences to youths in the foster care system
Working with Little Rock Parks & Recreation to host biking, fishing and paddling events at a variety of city parks

“We are grateful to Simmons First Foundation and Simmons Bank leadership for investing in our youth engagement program and habitat restoration in Arkansas,” said Scott Simon, State Director of The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas. “Most of us can trace our love of nature and conservation to an early memory or experience – exploring the woods, fishing with a grandparent, or canoeing with friends. Far fewer young people are having those experiences today. We want to cultivate that interest and curiosity in our youth so that we are nurturing the conservationists of the future. It is core to our mission!”

The YEP reaches approximately 600 youth and families annually through at least 30 unique programs, many of which are currently located in central Arkansas. Within the next two years, The Nature Conservancy plans to expand the geographic reach of the program to northwest and south Arkansas and the Arkansas Delta.

For 30 years, The Nature Conservancy and its partners in Arkansas have been restoring habitat through controlled burns. Arkansas’ fire community is working to increase habitat restoration through burning from an average 350,000 to 600,000 acres every year. Simmons First Foundation has designated $40,000 to support the purchase, training, and maintenance of Arkansas’ first fire ignition drone to help accomplish this ambitious target and improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and safety of prescribed burn in the state.

Original source can be found here.