In contrast, while recently driving down the highway, I observed a cyclist. Although likely not an Olympic competitor, the cyclist had on special shoes, shorts, shirt, gloves, helmet, and matching jersey and socks. My initial subconscious thought was, “wow, I can’t do that because I don’t have all that gear.” Upon more thoughtful consideration, I challenged my initial reaction and concluded, “I too, could do that, but boy would I look different than that.” That conjured an image that might also go viral but more for its humor value than because it fostered a sense of encouragement to anyone for anything aside from avoidance or laughter.

I often think about the increasing specialization in clothing and equipment as it relates to the outdoor industry. I’m as guilty as anyone, as evidenced by a recent inventory of my hunting gear. I marveled at just how much “stuff” I had amassed through the years – all the tools and the technology! For the common person who wants to get into hunting, the cost alone of the equipment I own would present a significant and sizable barrier, tool use and mastery even more so. I am far from my roots in this regard and any nonhunter accompanying me would likely feel the same or greater intimidation I experienced when I observed that cyclist.

In conservation, we spend considerable time and energy discussing and pursuing the retention, recruitment, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and anglers. We know that most of the funding for conservation is dependent on continued participation, and that the connections to fish and wildlife created by hunting, angling, and bird watching foster a great and much needed sense of stewardship for species and systems. Despite unprecedented investments in R3, barriers to participation remain. As we continue to identify and address barriers, it’s important that we consider the impacts of specialization of participation.

The effects of specialization on participation are also evident in our profession as fish and wildlife researchers, biologists, and managers. Our unique vernacular and specific terminology, technical skills and abilities can often send the same messages of intimidation and exclusiveness. The pursuit of conservation relevance through broader engagement is undoubtedly a worthy endeavor. Broader engagement comes in many different forms. As we contemplate our public trust responsibilities and the public engagement strategies we use to more broadly engage the publics we serve, we need to be aware of the relationships between specialization and intimidation, parlance and relevance.

Although we may be consciously aware of the impacts of specialization and technology, we often pursue and portray these advancements in ways that appeal to the more accomplished or educated amongst us. If we truly want to recruit more hunters, anglers, bird watchers, and other wildlife enthusiasts, maybe we should consider embracing the appeal of simplicity and ease of access, more akin to Yusuf Dikec’s style. After all, as Leonardo DaVinci said nearly 600 years ago, “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”