Thirty-one Arkansas schools, ranging from Pre-K to 12th grade, have been designated as a School of Conservation Leadership for 2026-29 and were honored by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission's Education Division Aug. 6 at Game and Fish headquarters in Little Rock.
Many schools sent representatives who nearly filled the auditorium, while others from around the state joined the ceremony online.
"Every single grade level earned a designation," said Derek Ratchford, Game and Fish outdoor education initiative manager. "It proves conservation education has a place no matter how old they are, no matter what types of learning environments, no matter what types of classes you offer. It fits, it's impactful and it matters."
Schools in the Northwest Arkansas region receiving School of Conservation Leadership designation include: Clear Spring, Eureka Springs; Joshua Academy, Van Buren; Root, Sonora, Valley Springs elementary schools; Valley Springs Middle School; ALLPS School of Innovation, Fayetteville; Bentonville High School, Thaden School, Bentonville.
"What I often get asked," Ratchford said, "what about the ones that didn't receive designation? The reality is, they all built a very strong foundation of conservation education that only needs to be grown. They've built something special that we're going to continue supporting as they continue trying to build it. They're not going away."
"So we're going to continue pouring into those classrooms and those students, but we also want to celebrate this group for the level of commitment made to that."
The program grew in one year from nine counties represented to 25 of Arkansas's 75 counties in 2025-26, and each region of the state produced new designees. Every type of school -- from virtual to public, private or charter -- was represented. However, Ratchford said the biggest story is that Arkansas went from not having a conservation education program two years ago to impacting 33,709 students today.
He called it "amazing" and thanked the newly designated schools for "telling that story."
"We continue to work with groups and organizations, colleges even out of state, that say 'I did a little research and a little looking at it, and I don't see any other states doing this,'" Mary Beth Hatch, Game and Fish chief of education, said. "They're not. It's not just a brag, but there truly are no other states in the United States that are being this intentional when it comes to conservation and outdoor recreation in the K-12 education system."
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