Hillsdale College and USA Shooting celebrated the opening of the Nimrod Education Center this fall, bringing the study of hunting and wildlife management to the college.
The Nimrod Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the general public about the role sportsmen play in the conservation of wildlife.
Founded by Nimrod Society President Alan Taylor, the Nimrod Center will offer a variety of educational and conservational programs. The center will provide academic courses, continuing education programs, seminars, conferences, scholarships for students, and partnerships to establish Wildlife Councils in every state. It will operate through the John Anthony Halter Shooting Sports Education Center, a press release from the college said.
“We actually already trial ran this with our Intro to Shooting Sports class this semester by adding a conservation portion to all of the classes out there,” shooting coach Andrew Traciak said.
The Nimrod Education Center will eventually get its own facility, but “not for the foreseeable future,” Nimrod Education Center Director Alan Stewart said.
Stewart said the Nimrod Society chose Hillsdale for its dedication to the traditional American principle of individual rights.
“Hillsdale is an exceptional college. It’s strong with the character of this country,” he said. “It works with the basis of the constitution, particularly the second amendment, as we can see in the Halter Shooting Center.”
The Nimrod Society works to protect and manage wildlife populations, according to Bob Radocy, a member of the board of directors. The society espouses the North American Conservation Model, according to the college press release. The Nimrod Society considers wildlife a public resource to be protected.
Stewart said the center’s name is a great conversation starter.
“I say I’m the director of the Nimrod Education Center, and people might raise an eyebrow,” Stewart said. “And then I explain what the mission is, what it’s about, and I can tell the story of Nimrod.”