Adam Beede, the 2017 Youth Camp Director, was rewarded as the recipient of the Dr. Robert Behnke Award from the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp. The Behnke award recognizes an individual who is a graduate of a TU Conservation Youth Camp, someone who has gone on to continue their river/conservation/fishery studies in college or a career in the field, and has contributed with a leadership role with a state Youth Camp.

The award was established by the Pennsylvania Rivers Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp to honor Dr. Behnke for his years of volunteering his time and his talents in teaching at the Pennsylvania camp as well as his educating and mentoring thousands of students during his career as a professor of Fisheries Conservation and Wildlife Biology at Colorado State University.  He was the author of more than 200 articles and papers regarding fish and fisheries and had served on numerous advisory boards for state and federal agencies.  He was the author of several books, including the seminal Trout and Salmon of North America (2002).  Bob began writing the quarterly column About Trout for Trout magazine in 1983.  Dr. Behnke passed away in September, 2013.

Adam is an alumnus of the 2011 Colorado Trout Unlimited River Conservation and Fly-fishing Youth Camp, served as a youth counselor for the camp three additional years, and is volunteering at the 2017 as Youth Camp Director. He is the youngest person to take on this role for the Youth Camp.

"I am honored and extremely excited to receive the selection for the Dr. Robert Behnke Award this year!" said Adam. "Attending the 2011 Colorado Trout Unlimited Youth Camp inspired me to start the Gunnison Sockeyes River Conservation Club and also to serve as Director for this year's youth camp."

This Spring, he graduated from Western State University in Gunnison majoring in Chemistry with an emphasis in Biochemistry. But he's leaving behind an incredible legacy of coldwater conservation leadership. In 2013, Adam founded The Gunnison Sockeyes, the first TU Costa Five Rivers collegiate club in the nation to found their club based on conservation rather than fly fishing. The club boasts over 160 members and has logged in excess of 220 man hours of service work in the Gunnison Watershed in the fields of Lake Trout Removal, Kokanee Salmon Spawning, Electroshocking, Stonefly Reintroduction and River Clean Ups.

"The Sockeyes logged 568 man hours of community service in the few years I went to Western State and I believe they will continue to put river conservation equal to, or ahead of, fly fishing in an effort to inspire the conservation of our rivers while having a blast in the Gunnison watershed," said Beede.

Adam has been head guide for Harmel's Ranch Resort the past three years sharing his passion for fly fishing and conservation with multitudes of ranch clients.

Colorado TU is extremely proud of Adam Beede for this incredible accomplishment and recognition. The work and leadership he has provided to the Colorado TU youth programs has helped instill the passion of fly fishing and conservation into other groups of kids. CTU is honored to have Adam be part of the Youth Camp team this year.

Adam will be presented the award at the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Rivers Conservation Camp graduation on June 23, 2017 at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. In addition, his name will be added to the plaque at the Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Museum's Rivers Conservation Camp exhibit and will receive a certificate, a hand-carved trout pin, and a custom made pen to record his efforts in cold water conservation.