In 2010, I had the extreme honor of being named Conservation Communicator of the Year by the Tennessee Wildlife Federation. I recently received a copy of the nomination letter that was sent to the TWF by a listener, and I received permission to share it here.
I hope this letter shows you that, not only are we having fun on Tony Sanders Outdoors, but we are helping people live happier, fuller lives too!
Here’s the letter:
From A Listener
Chattanooga, Tennessee
February 26, 2010
Dear [Tennessee Wildlife Federation]:
By way of this letter, I would like to submit a nomination for the TWF Conservation Communicator of the Year award. I would like to nominate Tony Sanders, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, for this award.
Tony Sanders is the host of a two-hour, call-in talk radio show in Chattanooga, Tennessee called “Tony Sanders Outdoors” (www.tonysandersoutdoors.com). He is on the air from 6:00 – 8:00 AM on WGOW 102.3 FM Talk Radio every Saturday morning.
He started the show in April 2007 and, over the past several years, he has hosted representatives from such organizations as Quail Unlimited, the Tennessee Ornithological Society, the Chattanooga Bass Association, Outdoor Chattanooga, Safari Club International, the National Wild Turkey Federation, the Friends of the NRA, Ducks Unlimited, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. In 2009, “Tony Sanders Outdoors” was the #1-rated radio show in Chattanooga.
Though his topics and the questions of his callers are widely varied, Tony communicates his environmental philosophy clearly every week: enjoy the outdoors, advocate for the outdoors, and always leave the outdoors in a better condition than you found it. He is an emphatic advocate of the right of sportsmen to enjoy the benefits of the land, but he also emphasizes the outdoor enthusiast’s responsibility to give back.
Tony actively recruits people to donate harvested animals to the hungry. He is a vocal supporter of repopulating at-risk species, such as the elk and the wild turkey, and of conserving habitat so that birds and animals will thrive. He frequently gives his listeners examples of things that everybody can do to preserve the environment for future generations.
Tony Sanders uses his show for the good of his individual listeners and of the community. I listened to one of his programs recently in which he hosted a representative from a local conservation club. The club was having a banquet and the representative mentioned that a number of attendees from prior years had fallen on hard times and may not be able to afford the ticket this year. On the spot, Tony and his co-host bought tickets and gave them away to callers who could not afford them. One of the show’s sponsors then called in, bought more tickets and asked Tony to give those away too.
I was deeply touched by hearing about this selfless act of giving, but I was even more touched by what followed. The guest on the show proceeded to tell a story about how a young, penniless teenager from a horrible family background stopped by a live remote at a sponsor’s outdoor-goods store. Tony spent time talking to the young man during a break and gave him a hat from a local conservation group.
This teenage boy treasured that hat, and much later, when the young man was seen again in a different place, he was still wearing that hat; it meant so much to him. This is a small example, but in the life of that one young man, Tony Sanders was a concerned voice who made a difference. I have heard stories about how one such act of kindness can open a youth’s eyes up to greater things, and when opportunity arises, the youth may choose a life of wholesome, beneficial pursuits, rather than turn to a life of drugs and crime.
Another reason I recommend Tony for the Conservation Communicator of the Year award is because, through his work on his radio show and around the community, he demolishes any gaps and stereotypes, real or perceived, in the belief system our society has unfortunately embraced in regards to sportsmanship and outdoor entertainment.
I personally grew up in an environment where hiking and bird-watching were potentially acceptable social activities, but hunting and fishing were considered “hick,” and conservationists were derided as “tree-huggers.” I was raised by folks that had a rather condescending attitude toward those who engaged in outdoor activities.
However, because I have heard Tony talk so much about the fun of fishing tournaments, the educational programs put on by the Friends of the NRA, and how groups like the National Wild Turkey Federation and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation are reintroducing wildlife into the outdoors, I can honestly say I no longer embrace that philosophy.
Since I have started listening to Tony Sanders talk about the great outdoors, I have discovered a new passion for, and awe of, the wonderful environment in which we live. Just recently, my husband and I made a special trip to the Cataloochee Valley to see the elk that inhabit that region. In the past, I would have taken one look and uttered a bored “It all looks the same,” but because of my newborn love for the outdoors, this trip was one of the highlights of my life. Seeing the majestic elk, hearing their wild bugle calls, and gazing at the seemingly-endless mountains brought a peace and fulfillment to my soul that I have only rarely experienced. Tony Sanders and his inspired communication helped contribute to that magical day.
Tony Sanders has been an active advocate for the environment and its wild inhabitants since 1991. He has been a member of Chattanooga’s Highland Sportsman Club, the oldest conservation club in Tennessee, since 1991. Through his involvement in this Club, he has taught hunter education courses since 1996 and currently serves as the Chairman of the Hunter Education Board for the Club.
In 2001, the Tennessee Wildlife Federation named Mr. Sanders the Educator of the Year. Mr. Sanders has worked with the National Wild Turkey Federation for over 10 years as a co-sponsor of the JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) program.
Tony Sanders “practices what he preaches” because his outreach to the community backs up what he communicates on his radio show. He puts “shoe leather” to the conservation message, and because he does, he draws in people that might otherwise turn a deaf ear to the cry of the environment.
Tony is a native Chattanoogan who developed a love for the outdoors because of his dad’s example. Tony grew up hunting, fishing, and trekking through East Tennessee with his father. Though he was qualified to go to school and work anywhere in the country, he chose to stay here and make Tennessee his permanent home. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 1989, and began a long career in accounting after earning his CPA license in 1990.
For the last 20 years, he has worked in the financial services industry as (at various times) an accountant, auditor, business owner, controller, manager, Vice President, and Chief Financial Officer. In 2006, he earned a Master of Business Administration from Tennessee Technological University.
Ms. Johnson, in closing, please accept my nomination of Tony Sanders for the Tennessee Wildlife Federation Communicator of the Year award. His life, his work, and his radio show have had a profound impact on my attitude, and the attitudes of many other Chattanoogans, towards conserving and cherishing our environment. I believe he is deserving of the award and will continue to be an influential and effective voice for the great outdoors for years to come.
Sincerely,
(Name omitted)
Chattanooga, Tennessee