Rain Or Shine: Families Embrace The Outdoors At Keeping Georgia Wild Festival

This past Saturday, May 17, the 2025 Keeping Georgia Wild festival was held at DNR’s Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center in Mansfield. This event was a family-fun day focusing on general conservation, Georgia wildlife and various outdoor recreational activities.

Kids were given the opportunity to try their hand at fishing, archery, harnessed tree climbing and shooting sports. They also had the chance to engage with live animal presentations, wildlife-related exhibitors, arts and crafts stations and solar viewing activities.

The morning started rainy and cloudy, but that didn’t stop exhibitors from getting kids engaged and teaching them about how to get outside.

I was able to stop by a couple of booths and talk to some exhibitors as well as attendees about what makes them passionate about the outdoors. They were asked various questions like “What is your favorite way to spend time outdoors?” and “What is something you would like to say to those who are reading or viewing?” Their responses encourage people to get outside and enjoy the outdoors.

Chip Madren, with DNR’s Outdoors Beyond Barriers initiative, said, “The best way I’ve found to relax and just enjoy the environment is to get outside and relax in whatever you’re doing: hunting, fishing, maybe hiking, maybe birdwatching, whatever. Just be outside in the environment.”

Michael Gibson, from the Georgia Trappers Association, says that he loves to fish, and “when I’m not fishing, I’m trapping!”

A little girl named Harper noted that her favorite way to spend time outside is bird watching.

Taylor Moore felt it was important for her to be at the festival because she wanted to share her passion for the outdoors.