STREAM Girls in 2020

STREAM Girls is a watershed education program created through a partnership between Girls Scouts of USA and Trout Unlimited with the goal of engaging elementary and middle school girls in STEM-based exploration. In addition to STREAM Girls getting its name from the focus on watersheds, STREAM also stands for Science, Technology, Recreation, Engineering, Art, and Math. The program is divided into eight activities highlighting each of these subjects. Girls learn about stream flow measurements, aquatic macroinvertebrate life, riparian habitats, and fly fishing throughout the program. Through inquiry-based learning, Girl Scouts get to know their local watersheds, develop new outdoor skills, and increase their understanding of real work applications of STEM.

After a successful year of hosting 6 STREAM Girls events in 2019, Colorado Trout Unlimited was excited to carry the momentum into 2020 with six more scheduled programs. Unfortunately, 2020 plans were stifled by the COVID-19 global pandemic. With public health orders restricting group size and concerns surrounding shared gear utilized during in-person programming, CTU shifted STREAM Girls to a virtual platform. To facilitate this transition, CTU staff and volunteers created several videos and sourced additional existing educational resources to support the STREAM Girls activities.

Over the course of fall, CTU hosted STREAM Girls programming through four virtual/self-guided events with the support of local Trout Unlimited chapters. The four STREAM Girls programs engaged 59 girl scouts from across Colorado. Beyond the Girl Scouts who received STREAM Girls patches, the virtual programming engaged entire families in getting outdoors to explore and learn about local watersheds.

To understand the efficacy and impact of the virtual STREAM Girls program, CTU asked Girls Scouts and their parents to complete a post-program survey. Colorado Trout Unlimited was pleased to have 100% of respondents note increased knowledge of their local watersheds, heightened interest in STEM-subjects, activities, and careers, desire to further develop fishing skills, and recommendation of the program to other girl scouts. Participants provided additional positive feedback, which included:

• “This is a great program to introduce girls to fly-fishing and knowledge of local streams. It was a well-thought out, self-guided program that covered a great deal of information. We had a fun time doing all of the steps.”

• “It is a wonderful break from our overwhelmingly electronic world! I thought it was a great way to introduce different aspects of stream science so that have it in their head as they are thinking about future endeavors.”

• “It is a great activity to get outside and bond/enjoy the time with your girl.”

• “A great way to get involved with your Girl Scout and learn as a family with specific detailed tasks to help you learn about rivers, fly fishing, etc.”

• “It was really fun and would like to do it again in person. All the activities were awesome!”

A big THANK YOU goes out to Girls Scouts of Colorado, Pikes Peak Chapter, St. Vrain Anglers, Rocky Mountain Flycasters, Gunnison Gorge Anglers, Grand Valley Anglers, and all of the volunteers who helped support these events! Additionally, we would like to acknowledge Orvis, New Jersey Audubon, The Stroud Water Research Center, Arizona Department of Water Quality, and Arizona Game and Fish for allowing Colorado Trout Unlimited to use educational videos for STREAM Girls.

Colorado TU was the first to pilot and host virtual/self-guided STREAM Girls events across the country. CTU is proud to have shared our success and lessons learned with Trout Unlimited staff and volunteers

across the country. We look forward to further developing these resources to help support STREAM Girls events in the future!

By Geoff Elliott, CTU Youth Education Coordinator

The CURRENT Podcast | Episode 5 featuring CTU's Trout in the Classroom

The CURRENT is a low-key, light-hearted fly fishing podcast hosted by Will Rice. With some recently found free time, Will will be thumbing through his Rolodex of accomplished anglers and friends in the fly fishing industry to talk about what's going on in their neck of the woods.

After visiting with friends from a variety of fisheries across the US, host Will Rice welcomes Bianca McGrath-Martinez from CTU, Bill Gilmore and Guy Grace from Littleton Public Schools to talk about the Trout in the Classroom program.

This environmental education program allows for elementary, middle, and high school students to raise rainbow trout eggs to fry as a vehicle to understand ecosystems. At the end of the program, the students typically release the fry into a local fishery with help from CPW. Will explores the fate of these trout with the recent shutdown of schools.

For more on the CTU Trout In The Classroom Program: CLICK HERE

You can find the podcast on Apple Music, Spotify & Stitcher. If you enjoy what Will is putting together with The CURRENT podcast, we ask that you please rate it and leave it a review on Apple Podcasts & Spotify! Thanks for listening!

Over 300 trout released in this year's Trout in the Classroom Release!

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is a conservation-oriented, environmental education program for elementary, middle and high school students. Throughout the school year students raise their trout from egg to fry, monitor tank water quality, engage in stream habitat study, learn to appreciate water resources, grow to understand ecosystems and begin to foster a conservation ethic. At the end of each school year, TIC classrooms release their trout into a state approved stream.

In the state of Colorado, there are 12 schools that take part in this program with a total of 17 tanks. Each program is led by educators dedicated to growing the next generation of environmental stewards.

On May 28th, Vanessa Grenader, a 5th grade teacher from Blackhawk, brought her students to Mayhem Gulch to release their 170 pet rainbow trout. Vanessa was accompanied by volunteers from the West Denver Chapter who talked with the students about water quality. Read more here.

On May 24th, Mike Sanchez’s high school class was joined by Bianca McGrath-Martinez of Colorado Trout Unlimited and Emma Brown of the Greenbacks for a release field trip at the Carson Nature Center in Littleton. The students were able to stock the South Platte with their trout, explore native plant species, and go on a nature walk.

On May 23rd, Todd Johnson set out on his first release field trip accompanied by the Denver Trout Unlimited chapter. Todd’s 3rd graders were able to release 60 trout — most of which have names.

What's in a drought? That which we call a drought.

Rafters enjoy floating down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Boating down the Colorado River below Havasu Creek in Grand Canyon National Park. NPS photo by Mark Lellouch.

A report published by the Colorado River Research Group takes a look at the word "drought" and why it might be time to retire its usage based on the data seen from the Colorado River Basin.

“Drought: a period of dryness especially when prolonged; specifically : one that causes extensive damage to crops or prevents their successful growth”

— Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Water is a hot commodity for ranchers across Colorado.

A sign advertising a water sale sits on a farm outside Del Norte, Colorado. Luke Runyon / HARVEST PUBLIC MEDIA

According to that definition, a drought refers to a period of time which would mean there is a beginning and a foreseeable end. What we are noticing in Colorado is a drought that seems to have no end. That's why scientists from Arizona, Utah, California, Colorado, and Michigan are starting to label the changes we have seen in the Colorado River Basin as aridification. It's true that the word does not share the same one-syllable punch that drought delivers, but the research groups says that it better defines what is happening to the area.

“aridification: the gradual change of a region from a wetter to a drier climate, often measured as the reduction of average soil moisture content”

— Merriam-Webster Dictionary

A riverbed dried up along the Rio Grande.

What this study suggests is that the years upon years of weather patterns we have seen in Colorado are pointing to a larger trend that is simply more than just a temporary drought or warming. If you are interested in learning more, you can read the full report with the link below. As always, what do you think? Is it time to start calling a spade a spade?

Other topics addressed in the report include: 

• Measuring the likelihood of future megadroughts in terms of low soil moisture
• What studies say about the "dust on snow" phenomenon
• What are two possible new normals based on climate models, trends, and Colorado population demand and growth

Read the Full Report here: 

When is Drought Not a Drought?  Drought, Aridification, and the "New Normal" (March 2018) 

P.S. Did you catch the Shakespeare reference?