Friday was kids day at the Wyoming Hunting and Fishing Heritage Expo, and students from schools throughout the state crowded inside and outside the Casper Events Center to try their hands at different activities.

The day was the perfect opportunity for the Wyoming Game and Fish Department to show young outdoorsmen that hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities can be fun and safe.

Students stood in a long, winding line to paddle around a pond in canoes, socializing and blowing plastic safety whistles in the wind.

Teachers were happy to get their new students outside so early in the school year. Many of these hands-on activities can be applied in the classroom.

"We just started classes and don't know most of these kids yet," said Jeff Ballow, a Riverton Middle School science instructor. "This expo is a good way to meet students outside the classroom in a setting that's not so formal."

Inside, display booths cover topics like animal habitat, environmental protection and agriculture.

"The expo helps students to focus on things that we will be doing later on and helps get them excited about science throughout the year," Ballow said.

Trish Wederski, a Riverton Middle School special ed teacher, agreed.

"This expo helps students learn about Wyoming prairies, plantlife and wildlife," she said. "It exposes them to different activities and helps them consider different careers."

Hands-on was the theme of the day, with an outdoor archery range, fly-fishing demonstration, compass course, air rifle range and a computer-hunting simulation that helps teach young shooters the ethics behind targeting game.

Shirley Anderson, a Game and Fish engineering technician, was manning the Sensory Safari trailer filled with dozens of partial and full-body mounts of critters great and small from around the world.

"It's neat for the kids to be able to see and touch all these different animals," she said. "Some may look soft, but when you touch them, their fur can be quite coarse."

The compact exhibit was quite popular with students.

"A lot of kids pass through this exhibit," Anderson said. "They all like to touch. Kids are usually told not to touch things. In a zoo, you can't touch the animals."

Some of the youngsters who passed through the trailer recognized more species and knew more details than most adults.

"The ones who are curious about animals are really interested and they ask lots of questions," she said.

Many of the adult organizers were surprised by the importance Wyoming places on teaching young people outdoor skills and ethics at an early age.

"It's tough to get participation like this in big cities," said Tony Budmella of Colorado Springs, Colo. "Wyoming is very friendly toward the outdoor lifestyle."

Martin Edmondson, manager of youth programs for USA Shooting, was in charge of the large air-rifle booth inside.

"It's important to get kids involved and teach them how to handle rifles and guns properly," he said. "Kids who are interested in shooting will inevitably get their hands on a gun. We provide an outlet to fill that hole with education."

Edmondson believes that a proper knowledge of gun safety and handling can benefit youngsters in other areas.

"The youth who learn how to shoot develop concentration skills that can be applied to the classroom," he said. "We're trying to build a grassroots program and hopefully help youngsters become the Olympians of tomorrow."

The expo features members of the USA Olympic shooting team and includes professional Olympic shotgunners, archers and pentathlon shooters.

The expo continues today and Sunday at the Events Center and nearby areas.

Assistant State Editor John Morgan can be reached at (307) 266-0614 or john.morgan@casperstartribune.net.