“The Outdoor Campus is the educational side of South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks,” said school program coordinator Joe Salvati. “We teach people of all ages about outdoor skills and conservation.”
Salvati began his journey as an intern with the Outdoor Campus in 2019 before accepting his current position last October.
It’s my job to work with schools to schedule and facilitate programming both at the Outdoor Campus, as well as bringing our programs into schools,” explained Salvati.
Visitors can partake in complimentary classes providing a hands-on experience in hunting, fishing, outdoor skills, and conservation skills.
Other courses taught include Outdoor Skills, BB Gun Basics, Fishing 101, Campfire Cooking, Women’s Handgun Safety, Family Intro to Archery, and more.
“We believe that everyone should have access to learning about the outdoors and want to provide the people of South Dakota with an educational resource about our natural resources,” explained Salvati.
Salvati shares more about his love for his career, the outdoors, and his home state.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
I get to be outside nearly every day and teach young people about all of the things I love to do.
Which class do you recommend visitors experience?
I recommend coming for our fishing classes. We are very fortunate to have a pond where the fish typically bite, and we have a ton of fun.
What’s something you want readers to know about the Outdoor Campus?
One of the best things about the Outdoor Campus is that every class we host is completely free, as we’re funded through the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.
June Courses
+ Catch It, Clean It, Cook It
+ Deer Hunting
+ Explore Bowhunting
+ Intro to Archery
+ Intro to Kayaking
+ Trailer Strapping & Backing
+ Wild Game Smoking
+ Where Can I Hunt?
What’s something people don’t know about you?
I used to be afraid of public speaking before I started my internship with the Outdoor Campus.
What’s your favorite thing about South Dakota?
The hunting is fantastic here, and there are plenty of public land opportunities.
