Chase is excited to bring his leadership skills and background in environmental education to strengthen CTU’s youth education programs throughout the state. While bicycle touring and backpacking have been Chase’s passion and means to explore the Pacific Northwest, Southwest deserts, and the great state of Colorado, he always watched anglers gracefully dot the stream banks along many of his adventures. Curiosity and the necessity to see what the fuss was about led Chase to give fly fishing a chance via a Tenkara rod. Simply put, he was hooked.
Chase is now joining CTU to help youth across the state understand the importance of a healthy watershed, not just from an angling standpoint, but from a resource management perspective. Not only trout but wildlife and people need access to clean, fresh, viable water. Chase has been on the front lines helping people of all ages learn about their natural world and watershed, leading conservation projects and residential science camps in the Pacific Northwest, working on riparian restoration projects in central Oregon, and teaching environmental science in the Rocky Mountains. Most recently he worked with the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies – connecting kids with the great outdoors right in the heart of the famed Roaring Fork watershed.
A colleague and friend once pondered what makes Chase a great teacher and said “It has to do, I think, with making teaching a craft rather than a formula.” Needless to say, Chase is looking forward to applying his craft – and more importantly getting young people excited about their waterways. Who knows, maybe there will be more young anglers enjoying our streams as they learn to take a moment and slow down. Chase and his saddle are glad he did, and are even more thankful to join the family at Colorado Trout Unlimited.
