 
Indeed, Sanders seems to have taught him a lot about the land. The owner of more than ten thousand acres of beautiful Halifax County property, Sanders let a young Burton “just be a kid” there. As a young man, Burton even spent two years living off Sanders’ land, which Burton called the Cove. When Burton was sixteen, Sanders gave the die-hard outdoorsman Robert Ruark’s The Old Man and the Boy, the story of a grandfather and a grandson learning life’s lessons from their experiences outdoors. Burton still calls it one of the best books he’s ever read, and his fondness undoubtedly comes from its strong resemblance to his own childhood. Listening to Burton speak, it’s clear that the education he got from his wilderness mentors made him who he is today: a professional NASCAR driver, husband and father of three, and head of one of the most comprehensive land conservation foundations in the country. Starting the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation was a no-brainer for Burton, who claims he’s really only ever known two things he felt he was good at: racing and managing the outdoors. When he began having success as a professional racer, Burton realized that his true purpose as a land conservationist and educator was within reach. Since its launch in 1996, the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation has been dedicated to conservation and preservation programs throughout Virginia, its home state, and the rest of the nation. The foundation even owns Burton’s precious childhood stomping ground, and C. R. Sanders’ former home, the Cove. Burton’s partnerships with governmental agencies and various other conservation initiatives have made him into a spokesman of sorts for America’s larger resource protection movement, which is fine by him. “I’m always surprised that conservation organizations don’t work together more,” he says. “I understand it’s a business and that everyone has their own motives. I realize that about life. But it’s not one organization that’s going to do it all. We have great initiatives and other organizations have great initiatives, too. That’s why I come when they call.” Burton’s grounded thinking makes him a favorite among conservation groups and corporate sponsors such as Beretta, whom he calls “really good friends and really good people.” Burton understands the importance of hunting and fishing in the world of environmental preservation, and he speaks highly of the sporting organizations that have helped the foundation along the way. “If we lose hunting and fishing, we lose altogether,” he says. As a card-carrying member of just about every conservation organization out there, Burton considers education one of his foundation’s most important purposes. He devotes much of his time to children’s outdoor programs with 4-H clubs, and even outdoor classroom-style lessons on the foundation’s property. “A lot of our children have what we call Nature Deficit Disorder. They aren’t engaged in nature and aren’t aware of what a beautiful asset America has.” Burton and the foundation try to make the programs fun and engaging, pulling in environmentalists and ecologists to help run activities that teach kids about the importance of protecting the outdoors as well as showing them how they can be involved. The foundation targets grown-ups, too, offering similar land management classes and education programs to property owners. “This isn’t my career — it’s my life,” Burton says. “I’ll never stop dedicating myself to the land. The outdoors has given so much to me and I want to give back. At the end of the day, the land doesn’t have a voice. The land is like a child, and it’s our responsibility to nurture and take care of it.” |
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