Oregon Collegians Take Aim for Conservation

In the heart of Oregon’s Willamette Valley, two CFACT Collegians—Cassidy Alayyan of the University of Oregon and James Walsh of George Fox University—teamed up to host a unique hands-on conservation experience: a skeet-shooting event at Mid-Valley Clays & Shooting School in Gervais.

The pair chose the location as a convenient halfway point between their campuses and recruited nearly twenty students eager to learn how responsible hunting practices contribute to healthy wildlife management. Outfitted with firearms, safety gear, and instruction from range professionals, students spent two hours honing their aim on flying clay targets while Cassidy and James shared an important lesson, illustrated by CFACT flyers distributed to attending students: hunting, when practiced ethically, is a cornerstone of conservation.

Many attendees had never fired a gun before, making the event both an educational and confidence-building experience. “The range did a great job teaching everyone proper gun handling and safety,” James recalled. “Some people had never shot before, so it was a great first experience for them. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun and wanted to do another event like this again!”

By combining outdoor recreation with environmental education, Cassidy and James demonstrated that true conservation doesn’t come from top-down mandates—it comes from individuals who respect the land, understand wildlife management, and take part in the traditions that sustain both.

After wrapping up on the range, the group capped the day with pizza and fellowship at a local pizza joint—discussing how responsible hunters help balance wildlife populations and fund conservation programs through license fees and excise taxes.

Thanks to their leadership, dozens of Oregon students now understand that hunters are among America’s greatest conservationists, and that stewardship of our natural world often starts with pulling a trigger—responsibly.