Want to spend time in the woods gaining knowledge or sharpening your skills in archery, bowhunting and foraging!? Never picked up a bow, and want to learn best techniques? This class is a great opportunity for anyone from the beginning student to the avid hunter. We will have amazing instructors to help you feel comfortable or to learn new target skills. We will also have the opportunity to venture into the woods and forage to find the tasty edibles that might await!
Andy Benson our foraging instructor is a Naturalist, Musician, and Educator. He's been a forager his whole life, and a foraging instructor for many years. His enthusiasm for foraging and wild foods is infectious, and his often-unorthodox methods have been featured on PBS and many national publications. He's also acted as a reference for various National Geographic & Discovery Channel shows. When he's not foraging, educating, or playing in the woods, Andy spends his time with his wife, his musical projects, his pets & plants, and his friends. Andy works as an Educator for the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, and a Naturalist for Jackson County Conservation.
The archery instructors have up to 50 years of archery and bow hunting experience and are all members of Johnson County Archers.
Kirk Parks is a retired Combat Military Policeman in the Iowa Army National Guard. He served for a little over 23 yrs was deployed overseas 3 times, for Bosnia, Desert Storm, and Iraqi Freedom. He retired as a Staff Seargent. Kirk has been hunting since age 5, took up archery at age 22, started hunting with a bow at age 25. Kirk works in the Hunting/Archery Dept. at Fin & Feather repairing, fitting, selling of bows and accessories. During the off-season Kirk loves to go to 3D archery shoots and spending time in the outdoors.
Sponsored by: Iowa DNR, Fin and Feather, Johnson County Archers and Backyard Abundance
