The Camp-Fire Club of America was organized in 1897 to bring together hunters, anglers, explorers, naturalists, artists and individuals who subscribe to the principles of adventure and fellowship in the great outdoors, and to further the interests of sports afield and wildlife conservation. ''
Field & Stream
''Field & Stream'' (''F&S'' for short) is an American magazine focusing on sport hunting, recreational fishing and other outdoor activities. It was a print publication between 1895 and 2015, and became an online-only publication in 2020. After ...
'' magazine originated as the official newsletter of the Camp-Fire Club of America. The organization's primary focus is upon conservation and the practice and continuation of
outdoor skills, as well as providing recreational opportunities for its members.
The organization also functions as a
conservation
Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws.
Conservation may also refer to:
Environment and natural resources
* Nature conservation, the protection and manage ...
and
environmental group
The environmental movement (sometimes referred to as the ecology movement) is a social movement that aims to protect the natural world from harmful environmental practices in order to create sustainable living. In its recognition of humanity a ...
, with a focus upon the
preservation
Preservation may refer to:
Heritage and conservation
* Preservation (library and archival science), activities aimed at prolonging the life of a record while making as few changes as possible
* ''Preservation'' (magazine), published by the Nat ...
of the natural environment, habitat, forests and
wildlife conservation
Wildlife conservation refers to the practice of protecting wild species and their habitats in order to maintain healthy wildlife species or populations and to restore, protect or enhance natural ecosystems. Major threats to wildlife include habita ...
through the Camp Fire Conservation Fund. Camp-Fire Club was instrumental in many of the biggest environmental efforts of the 19th and 20th centuries including: launching the American Bison Society and
saving the American Bison in 1905,
passing the
Fur Seal Preservation Act in 1909,
the founding of
Glacier National Park in 1910,
the passing of the Plumage Bill in 1910,
the passing of the
Migratory Bird Treaty Act
The Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA), codified at (although ยง709 is omitted), is a United States federal law, first enacted in 1918 to implement the convention for the protection of migratory birds between the United States and Canada. ...
in 1918, creating the U.S. National Park System's Operating Standards in 1923,
passing the Federal Duck Stamp Act in 1929, and helping to protect Florida's
Key Deer
The Key deer (''Odocoileus virginianus clavium'') is an endangered subspecies of the white-tailed deer that lives only in the Florida Keys. It is the smallest extant North American deer species.
Description
This deer can be recognized by its ch ...
population in the early 1950s. Camp-Fire was also instrumental in getting New York State to outlaw the indiscriminate use of DDT and other pesticides in the 1960s in New York State. Camp-Fire Club continues to support conservation through a variety of efforts nationwide and globally.
Camp-Fire Club has had some notable members including:
The club has had strong membership connections and close ties with many organizations over its history including the
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 21 interconn ...
,
the Boy Scouts of America,
the Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo (also historically the Bronx Zoological Park and the Bronx Zoological Gardens) is a zoo within Bronx Park in the Bronx, New York City. It is one of the largest zoos in the United States by area and the largest metropolitan zoo, co ...
, The Adirondack League Club, and the
Explorers Club
The Explorers Club is an American-based international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting scientific exploration and field study. The club was founded in New York City in 1904 and has served as a meeting point for ex ...
.
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
* {{official, https://www.campfireclub.com
* Camp Fire Club of America (1929) National park standards as defined by the Camp Fire Club of America. Am. Forest & Forest Life (August): 476, 539.
Organizations established in 1897
Nature conservation organizations based in the United States
Hunting organizations
Organizations based in New York (state)