Volunteer

SVATU Chili Night and Gear Swap

By: Danielle Adams SVATU Chili Night is Coming in February!

Did you buy too much at the fishing show and need to off load some neglected, under-used gear? Do you have old fishing equipment laying around taking up space? Is there new or used gear that you have been looking to add to your repertoire? Then the SVATU gear swap is for you, and you don’t want to miss it!

396725_127731590715852_355757329_nThe St. Vrain Anglers Chapter of Trout Unlimited is hosting a Chili Night, and first ever SVATU Gear Swap at 6:30 pm on Thursday February 18 at the American Legion. The event is still open for volunteers to bring their favorite chili! Please contact Mark Rayman (stvraintu@gmail.com) if you’d like to bring your award winning chili to share.

SVATU GEAR SWAP:

If you have equipment you want to sell or trade, pull your fishing gear and fly tying kits out while the weather is cold, decide what you no longer need, and bring it to Chili Night! There will be tables set up with ample space to display your gear, and help you convert it to something else. This is not fundraiser, and SVATU isn’t involved with any money, but it will be a great community event where you can meet new people, and learn more about the conservation, protection, and restoration efforts of the Saint Vrain Anglers Trout Unlimited chapter. Come be a gear-hound, and eat lots of scrumptious food!


Thursday February 18, 6:30pm – 9:30pm

American Legion

315 South Bowen Street,

Longmont, CO 80501

 

 

San Luis Valley Volunteer Opportunities and Events

Volunteering  Due to a partial rain delay on the last Hidden Mile workday, volunteers are needed once again to work with the US Forest Service to complete the fencing project on the Hidden Mile of the Conejos. There is one more workday scheduled for Wednesday, August 26th at 9 AM. Volunteers will assist in installing the floating fence on the upper crossing and two more wooden H braces on the lower section along with a few posts to complete it.

If you plan to come help please contact Marty Jones at the following phone number or email address. You may also contact Marty for more information.

Marty- Ph. 719-589-4327

Email - mbjones@adams.edu

To reach the Hidden Mile go west from Antonito on highway 17 about 21 miles to the Platoro Road (rd. 250). Turn right on Platoro Road and go about 4 miles. The new parking lot and gate will be on your left.

Tools will be provided. Please bring lunch and water, and wear work clothes, work gloves, sturdy boots, waders, sunscreen, and safety glasses.

Many thanks to the volunteers that helped out last Monday.

The installations of metal H braces on the upper and lower river crossings have been completed, as well as the installation of the floating fence on the lower crossing. All that's left is stringing the upper fence and installing a couple of wood H braces on the lower fence.

Saturday, August 29th is another volunteer opportunity. At 9:30 AM in the Coller Wildlife Area there will be a fall river and highway cleanup. This year the volunteers will do a cleanup along the river as well as the highway. Trash bags and gloves will be available and a most excellent lunch and drinks will be provided. Meet at the usual spot at the big pull-out on the highway about four miles north of South Fork on the way to Creede in the Coller Wildlife Area.

Events

On Saturday, August 22nd the San Luis Valley chapter is hosting a welcome back picnic and casting challenge in Del Norte Town Park. Festivities begin at 11:30 AM.

The chapter will provide grilled meats and soft drinks. Last names ending in A-H can bring salads, last names ending in I-O please bring appetizers and last names ending in P-Z should show up with deserts. Or... Just show up because there will be plenty of food!

Bring your favorite fly rod as there will be casting contests with excellent prizes for both distance and accuracy!

The SLV chapter thanks you for your help!

 

CTU Presents: Behind the Fin

Everyone has a story to tell and now it’s time to tell yours. Colorado Trout Unlimited is bringing members a new online blog segment entitled “Behind the Fin,” a spotlight on a member of Trout Unlimited. Behind the Fin will take a deeper look into the personalities that make up Colorado Trout Unlimited and expose those responsible for all of the great work we’ve done together. Many projects have been completed to save water resources and restore fisheries in Colorado and now it’s time to recognize the volunteers who make it happen.

Fraser troutRiverstock

With help from the staff of CTU, members will be highlighted in an article on the CTU website that will recognize their achievements both within and outside the trout world. Behind the Fin will be a great way for fellow members to get to know each other better and enhance the member community.

To be highlighted, it’s as easy as answering a few questions. Some include:

  • How long have you been a TU member?
  • Why did you become a member?
  • What is your favorite activity or project that you have done with TU?
  • What is a favorite fishing spot and favorite fishing story?
  • To you, what is the best tactic or fly for catching trout?
  • Beyond being an awesome angler, what else do you do in your spare time or for work?

Using these answers and some other basic information, CTU will help write an article that can be shared and highlighted on the Colorado Trout Unlimited website – telling your story around the world.

If you’re interested in sharing your story with CTU and its members, or you know of someone who you think should tell their story, please submit any inquiries to Stephanie Scott at SScott@tu.org.

CTU New Leaders Training Registration is Now Open!!

In Colorado there are 24 local Trout Unlimited chapters that are an essential piece to Trout Unlimted's mission of conserving cold water fisheries. Every chapter has its own leadership board, programs, dedicated volunteers and most of the time they raise their own money for operations. Running a chapter is extremely rewarding, but it can also be challenging. To help Colorado chapters be most effective, Colorado Trout Unlimited hosts an annual New Leaders Training for chapter leaders. This training is for both new and old chapter leaders who are eager to learn how to be more effective leaders and build stronger chapters. The New Leaders Training Weekend will have numerous trainings, networking opportunities, and each attendee will walk away with resources to help their chapter reach its full potential. The Colorado Trout Unlimited Council's Fall board meeting is also held this same weekend in between training sessions. All participants are encouraged to attend the board meeting to become more familiar with the council and what their responsibilities are in Colorado.

Registration for the full weekend is $70.00; however to show our appreciation for new participants all first time attendees get their registration fees waived. To show our appreciation even more, this year Colorado Trout Unlimited is also providing a $100 scholarship for the first 10 chapters to have a first time leader attend to help with travel expenses.

Please contact Stephanie Scott (sscott@tu.org) or 720-354-2647 to apply for one of the scholarships or for general questions about the training.

Follow this link to register for the New Leaders Training: Register Here

Registration Deadline is October 13, 2014.

ANIMAS RIVER CLEAN UP

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!9:30 a.m. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th

SANTA RITA PARK  (Gazebo next to the Chamber of Commerce) Please join TROUT UNLIMITED/FIVE RIVERS CHAPTER in cleaning up the Animas River!  Every September we reach out and ask volunteers to join us and pick up trash along the beautiful Animas River.  We’ll hand out garbage bags and give everyone a specific area to collect trash. This casual event last only a few hours.

Questions call: 970.759.5877

 

Trout Unlimited Partners With the Forest Service to Restore

The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) along with residents, local governments, other agencies and many others, have a long road ahead of them to restore what was damaged during the 2013 floods in Northern Colorado. To begin this process the USFS needs to assess the damage of the rivers. They have turned to Trout Unlimited (TU) because we have an expansive network of dedicated volunteers that care about the watershed and want to make a difference.

FS Training smartphones

This is the beginning of a multi year partnership to bring back the healthy river ecosystems in the South Platte Basin after the floods; and we already have volunteers trained and ready to get on the river!!

The USFS hosted the first training for TU members on August 20, 2013, and it was a huge success. Dan Cenderelli and Matt Fairchild from the Forest Service developed a unique scientific assessment aimed at gathering data to develop a prescription to restore the entire watershed. This assessment is unique in many ways, but the big one is that there is an app for it!! Yes, an app for your smart phone. TU volunteers were not only trained on the science of the assessment, but also how to enter the data into their phones and instantly submit their results into the USFS database.

TU and the USFS were very anxious to get this project going. Planning and developing this partnership began shortly after the floods in September 2013. We are excited that the first bunch of volunteers have been trained and are ready to get out on the rivers and be true citizen scientist.

Because of the high demand from volunteers we will be hosting another training. We are working on scheduling it and should have details ASAP. If you are interested in being a part of this ground breaking partnership then please let us know. Contact Stephanie Scott at sscott@tu.org or 720-354-2647 to learn more and get signed up.

 

Boulder Creek TU River Cleanup

We'll meet at 9:00 a.m. October 11th for registration and clean-up beat assignments.
The cleanup will get underway at Boulder Flycasters Memorial Park approximately 2.5 miles up Boulder Canyon. The park is about 150 yards past the tunnel on your left.
Bring gloves and waders if you'd like to pull out trash from in the stream. An old rake can do wonders to help with in-stream work.
Each volunteer will be responsible for about 1/2 mile of stream and we'll have teams of two so bring a buddy or another family member to help us!We'll have plenty of trash bags and safety vests provided by the county and they'll pick up all trash we gather later on during the week.

Trout Unlimited and the U.S. Forest Service teaming up to restore our rivers!!

The U.S. Forest service along with residents, local governments, other agencies and many others have a long road ahead of them to restore what was damaged during the 2013 floods. To begin this process the U.S. Forest Service need to assess the damage of the rivers in order to develop a prescription for restoration across the entire watershed. They have turned to Trout Unlimited because we have an expansive network of dedicated volunteers that care about the watershed and want to make a difference. The Forest Service is hosting a training exclusively for Trout Unlimited members to learn how to assess the damage in the watershed based on the scientific protocol that they have developed. The surveys will take place in Northern Colorado along the Big Thompson, St. Vrain and Boulder Creek areas.

The training session will be on Tuesday evening, July 29, from 6:00 PM until 8:30 PM. It will take place at the Forest Service office building, 2150 Centre Ave. Bldg. E in Fort Collins.

We already have a large number of people signed up for this training but still have some space available for additional volunteers. If you attend this training you will be able to sign up for certain stretches of river to assess on your own time with a partner. If you CAN attend this training and are interested in being trained by the Forest Service to assess rivers then please let Stephanie Scott  know ASAP!!

The remaining spaces are first come first serve, so if you want to attend this training I will fill the remaining spots in order of response.

To RSVP or for additional questions please contact Stephanie Scott sscott@tu.org or 720-354-2647

Bear Creek Cleanup in Evergreen

9am - Noon. Participants meet in the parking lot across from the Little Bear in downtown Evergreen and should bring waders and gloves. Children are welcome, but each child under 12 should be accompanied by an adult. For more information, prospective volunteers should contact me at ronbelak@msn.com.

West Denver Trout Unlimited Annual Stream Cleanup

September 27, 2014 @ 9am Congregate at the Mt. Tool and Feed Store (Mountain Gateway Mercantile) parking lot.  Take exit 243 from I-70 (Central City Gateway Highway).  The West Denver  TU chuck wagon will be there.

Things to bring:

-- waders for crossing the stream or retrieve trash among rocks in the stream

bottom or stream bank .

-- gloves for your safety.

-- pinchers/grabbers to reach unreachable areas.

-- folding chair if you have one and would like to sit for lunch.

-- hat/cap – sunscreen

-- radios or cell phones for communication  – there NOW is cell phone service.

-- water bottles – can be filled at the feed store.

Schedule:

*** juice & coffee & energy snacks at 9:00 – 10:00

*** sign waivers

*** pick up orange safety vests and orange trash bags

*** divide into groups/teams to work both sides of Clear Creek only if access is safe!!

10:00 - Teams will be driven to sites/pull-outs then picked up at the next pull out, either up or down stream.  We will be working up stream from Mayhem Gulch toward the Feed Store parking lot.

CDOT is planning to have “Shoulder Work Ahead” signs along the area we will be “de-trashing” – hopefully the signs will cause the traffic to drive slower and help them become more alert.

Back to the chuck wagon as teams finish, to brag about the best find.

Lunch – 11:30 ish (provided).   There is a fund raiser cook-out planned for the Feed Store customers so the grill will be ready any time you choose to eat.

 

Call Jackie for questions/concerns or to be added to the volunteer list.

Cell:  303-503-9356

Home:  303-278-2282 (leave a message if no answer)

e-mail:  jorgedwards@aol.com