Magnolia’s Gold Award Project

As a farmer, hunter, and Girl Scout, Magnolia Hance has created conservation projects related to water, soil and wildlife conservation.

When she turned 17, she realized she had “aged out” of eligibility for a youth license with Texas Parks and Wildlife and a wonderful childhood hunting with her Dad and sister and that she needed to find her own community of young women who share a similar passion for conservation and hunting.

As a native Austinite, she quickly discovered finding that community was not easy. Although many of her friends were impressed with her passion, they admitted they did not know where to begin. When doing a little research, Magnolia discovered what Texas Parks and Wildlife has called the “looming conservation crisis” because the state’s population is skyrocketing but the number of hunters remains largely unchanged. The state’s population is also increasingly urbanized and cut off from natural connections to the land and conservation.

Magnolia Hance - Gold Award - Range - Magnolia and Diva WOW Conversation

Magnolia Hance - Gold Award - Range - Group

Magnolia Hance - Gold Award - Range - Julie Clark and Magnolia

Magnolia Hance - Gold Award - Range - Firearm Safety

Magnolia Hance - Gold Award - Range - Ruben Roman

The Project Team

Additional research and conversations with people like Dr. Megan Clayton at Texas A&M AgriLife (whom Magnolia had gotten to know while designing a quail habitat/grassland restoration project for her family farm as part of Dr. Clayton’s “Generation Next” course) inspired Magnolia to design a Girl Scout Gold Award Project to give young women interested in wildlife conservation a path to becoming licensed and ethical hunters.

With approval from Girl Scouts of Central Texas to create this “first of its kind” Gold Award Project, Magnolia built a team of advisors including Dr. Clayton, TPWD Volunteer Instructor Jason Ziebell, and the Farm at Bald Hill, a regenerative ranch in the Houston area. She chose lifelong hunter Steve Crawford as her project advisor. She also developed project partners in the Tom Ford Foundation, Austin Gun Club, Diva WOW, Texas Parks and Wildlife Hunter Education, and Trinity Oaks, whom she was familiar with through some hunting experiences Trinity Oaks hosted at her family farm for mobility-impaired youth and first responders.

The Experience and Impact

Two in-person experiences at the core of Magnolia’s Gold Award Project provided young women with the opportunity to complete a TPWD Hunter Education course with other young women and gain hands-on experience using firearms through a potluck and skeet shoot with Julie Clark and Diva WOW at the Austin Gun Club. Beyond the classroom and field experiences, Magnolia also created a few videos cooking wild game recipes that work for other young people who are just starting college and have limited kitchen space and resources.

Through pre- and post-event surveys, Magnolia measured changes in the attitudes, skills, and behaviors of participants, seeing:

100% passed the TPWD Hunters Education Exam.
100% of participants reported increased confidence about hunting and safe handling of firearms.
100% could explain the role of hunting in conservation and the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation.
The number of project participants grew from 8 to 30.
Three project partners were added as momentum built.
New friendships were formed and hunting trips are planned to Magnolia’s family farm and Oyster Bayou on the Texas coast in the 2025-2026 hunting season.
The participants shared that their priorities when it comes to hunting were spending time outdoors with friends and family.

The Future

Magnolia’s project prioritizes the importance of increasing literacy around wildlife conservation and connecting more people to the outdoors for a healthier tomorrow. By blending in person experiences with a media package, she is extending the life of the project while reshaping stereotypes, removing barriers for young women, and helping them gain confidence as they take those first steps towards a lifetime enjoying wildlife conservation as licensed and ethical hunters.

Thank you to Magnolia and all of her project partners for the opportunity to contribute to such a valuable project. We can’t wait to see what is next for this young lady!