|
Education |
Education News BriefsRecent Events UpdateGreat Bay Trout Unlimited, Chapter 613 kicked off the summer events starting on May 7th with the Lamprey River Cleanup with many volunteers participating, including the students from UNH Alpha Sigma Phi, who have volunteered their time for the past several years. Once the river was cleaned up, everyone enjoyed a BBQ. Following that event, came the Cocheco River Day on May 21st. This annual event takes place on the Cocheco River, starting at the Measured Progress parking lot where there were several speakers from different watershed groups, including Strafford Rivers Conservancy, Open Lands, and Cocheco Watershed Coalition; Community Trails; Planning Board; sponsor from the Children's Museum speaking on the new display for Trout in the Classroom; Fish and Game; Miss New Hampshire; the children from the classes involved in Trout in the Classroom; Great Bay Trout Unlimited; Stuart Kahl, President and founder of Measured Progress, whom GBTU is very grateful to be able to use their parking lot for our events; and Mayor, Scott Meyers. Cocheco River Day started out as a river cleanup 5 years ago and 3 years ago had progressed to GBTU inviting other watershed groups to attend and talk about their interests in the surrounding waters; and every year gets bigger and bigger, thanks to the little seed planted by Mark Seymour who coordinates this great event. There was little trash to pick up this year, which is a very good sign; and we anticipate moving up to different sections of the Cocheco River in the future. So many volunteers attended the day, including the cubs and boy scouts and their families along with the families involved in the Trout in the Classroom where the children had so much fun releasing their fry from the classroom project to the release project. The children learn so much from this program and there are now 4 cold water tanks and 1 warm water tank currently and 1 more tank has just been added to a Rochester school meeting the criteria for the Trout in the Classroom program. The children were also so excited to be releasing large trout supplied by Fish & Game for the event. The parents were just as eager to pitch in a hand. Following the event, Rich Seaward, from Weeksie's Pizza and wife, Joan, volunteered to grill burgers and dogs.Next on the event calendar was the Strafford Rivers Conservancy appreciation day on June 4th. GBTU hosted this event for the Strafford Rivers Conservancy. There were 14 participants enjoying the beautiful, sunny day; the river; casting; learning the techniques of fly fishing; and having a tight line or 2. Lastly, on June 5th, 23 students from the Dover Middle School and Dover High school were finishing up their classroom semester from the Outdoor Pursuits class, taught by teacher and Board member, John McKernan with added benefit of volunteers from the GBTU BOD, helping in the classroom events. In the classroom, the students learned to tie flies, had casting instructions, and other stream-related classes to ready them for actual fly fishing on the river. These are all great opportunities to volunteer where you can and have fun while you are doing it, whether its as a river helper, setting up events, cleanup, tying flies—to name a few. We look forward to many more upcoming events with Amy's Treats in October with 2 events on the river. If you would like to be placed on the volunteer list, please let me know, Wendy Nixon, Event Coordinator. You make the difference! I can be reached at fishinnixon2@comcast.net. |
2011-2012 Season Meeting & Event Schedule
All of the programs listed below will take place at the Urban Forestry
Center, 45 Elwyn Road, Portsmouth, NH,
(directions).
Important Notice: This year chapter meetings will begin at 6PM, not
6:30PM, unless otherwise specified. Location is unchanged.
|