Meet CTU's Summer Interns

Colorado Trout Unlimited is excited to welcome Rachel Willis and Jeff Florence onto our team for the summer. The two of them will be working closely with staff, chapters, members and volunteers to help us make a bigger impact for the rivers in Colorado. We were fortunate enough to hire two very qualified people for two different positions. Below are a short bio and brief description about what they will be doing during their time with CTU.

River Cleanup Intern

 Rachel Willis rachel.willis@coloradotu.org

Rachel has been hired on as our River Cleanup Intern   for the summer. Rachel is originally from Alaska and grew up spending her summers fishing with her dad on the Chena River or down south in Valdez. Rachel is an Environmental Science major with a concentration in ecological restoration at Metropolitan State University of Denver. While at Metro she served as the Vice President for the Colorado Wildlife Federations student club. She is excited to work with Colorado Trout Unlimited on River Cleanup projects and to learn about river conservation in Colorado. Rachel is looking forward to being involved in conservation efforts in beautiful Colorado and to starting her career working for TU.

Rachel’s internship has two main objectives. The first is to help with planning the many river cleanups that our chapters do across the state. The main focus will be on recruiting new volunteers and helping to develop follow-up strategies for engaging those volunteers beyond river cleanups. She will edit and populate the Great Colorado River Cleanup website with all of the cleanup dates to help recruit volunteers across the state. She will also help with planning prior to the day of river cleanups and help to find materials, develop partnerships, and make calls for cleanups.

The second part of Rachel’s internship is to help CTU develop and manage a volunteer database within our SALSA software. This will include a lot of data entry as well and organizing volunteers by geographic area as well as area of interest for volunteer activities. This will help all of us in the future be able to utilize volunteers at the click of a mouse to help with projects.

Communications Intern

Jeff Florence jeff.florence@coloradotu.org

Jeff has been hired on as our Communications Intern for the summer. Jeff was born and raised in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. From an early age Jeff has been camping, hiking and fishing in his free time and he also played hockey and baseball growing up. Jeff is currently studying journalism with a minor in recreation services at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He hopes to one day write for an outdoor magazine and has done some free lance writing for Cabela’s in the past. Jeff is looking forward to getting to work for Trout Unlimited and help spread the story of a great organization while gaining experience in both journalism and recreation services.

Because of Jeff’s experience with other recreation activities he will focus his work on writing stories about how TU can reach out and partner/work with other recreation industries such as rafting, camping, hunting etc. Jeff will also be working with TU chapters and staff to help tell our success stories and network those stories through our various online sources. Jeff will also be developing a TU Chapter Guide to Social Media for those chapters that are looking to learn more about social media best practices and expand their social media presence. We hope that Jeff will be able to take our online presence to a new level and help to increase our relationships with not only the fishing community in CO but to the other recreation industries as well.

Colorado Stream Explorers Release Trout

With help from Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) and Suncor Energy, on June 5, 2014, students from Academy High in the Mapleton School District released approximately 85 fish into the South Platte River for their Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program. As part of CTU’s South Platte River Explorers program, students raised and cared for rainbow trout in their high school classroom.  

Taught by teacher, Mike Sanchez, students received about 200 fertilized eggs in October of 2013. From then on, students raised the fish into the “fry” stage. To ensure ideal conditions, the class would monitor the fish daily by recording and analyzing the water quality. 

Before releasing the trout into the wild, the students first needed to acclimate the fish to their new waters. Students slowly replaced the water the fish were kept in with river water. “A change of a couple of degrees is a lot for the fish,” said Garrett Hanks, Colorado Trout Unlimited Youth Education Coordinator. “If we just dump them into the river, they could go into shock.”

The release took place at Carson Nature Center in Littleton, Colorado. While at the park, students learned a brief history about the park and the conservation efforts the park is currently undergoing; including a change to the flow and landscape of the river that will improve overall aquatic health, according to South Platte Park supervisor, Skot Latona.

As part of the South Platte River Explorers Program, students also collected macroinvertebrates to test under a microscope in class to get a better understanding of all the species living in the water. This will give the students a better understanding of the aquatic ecosystem and environment.

Prior to the release, students tested the water quality to learn about the pH levels, nitrate, dissolved oxygen and coliform levels. This data will help the students understand the environmental needs for fish and other species that rely on the water, which includes people. From the data collected, students can learn how to keep the waters cleaner to achieve maximum aquatic health.

Due to the whirling disease testing in Colorado, TIC is relatively new. It wasn't until a few years ago that the program was approved by the state and Colorado Parks and Wildlife. Thanks to the advocacy efforts of former CTU President, Sharon Lance, who wouldn't take ‘no’ for an answer, The South Platte River Explorers was approved by the state and is currently involved with 10 different schools.

This is the first year Sanchez and Academy High have been involved with TIC and the South Platte River Explorers. As a former seasonal fisheries biologist for Colorado Parks and Wildlife Sanchez was thrilled with the idea of the program when approached from his director and he plans to have the program on his curriculum in the fall of next year.

With funding and support from Suncor Energy, the South Platte River Explorers program offers Stream Explorers and RiverWatch programs along with the Trout in the Classroom. Through these programs, with help from their teachers, students learn a basic understanding of the beauty, complexity, and dynamics of aquatic ecosystems in addition to basic fishing skills and techniques.

Starting in middle school and continuing through high school the program integrates the curriculum through different subjects and different years. With the success the program has already achieved, according to Brandy Radey, Senior Adviser at Suncor, the energy company is looking to continue the South Platte River Explorers program as well as other conservation efforts.

Trout in the Classroom is just one of the programs offered with the South Platte River Explorers program and CTU is looking to continue with the program along with more programs dedicated to youth conservation education.

For more information on the release, look for the free, July/ August edition of High Country Angler magazine from your local fly shop or check out the Denver Post article on the event.

Getting Kids Outdoors

The second ever Outdoor Mentors Festival hosted by Colorado Trout Unlimited took place at Chatfield State Park on May 3rd. Fly fishing, bait fishing, canoeing, rock climbing, nature walk, laser shot, air rifle and archery activities were all available for kids to experience at no cost to participants. These activities were provided by our partners at Colorado Bow Hunters Association, Pheasants Forever, Colorado Trout Unlimited, American Canoe Association, Avid4 Adventure and Colorado Parks & Wildlife. In an effort to provide experience in outdoor activities to children who may not have that chance in other settings, the event focused on local mentoring groups. There were over 100 participants from Big Brothers Big Sisters, Denver Kids, Inc., and Denver Sports Buddies, along with other organizations. It was often the case during the May 3rd event that it was a child and mentors first time fishing, shooting, canoeing, or rock climbing. Not only was the event at Chatfield a success in that the children had a great time, the mentors also saw how easy and fun it is to take part in some of the activities. Colorado’s great outdoors, and locations such as Chatfield State Park, are meant to be shared by all. We hope events such as this will get more youth outside and caring about our natural resources.

The Colorado Outdoor Mentors are a coalition of conservation organizations, state agencies, youth development organizations, and other key outdoor recreation stakeholders engaged in a sustainable, coordinated effort to expand opportunities for non-traditional audiences to participate in traditional outdoor recreational activities and learn the importance of preserving our conservation heritage.

Whatever outdoor pursuit interests a child, there are organizations providing an outlet for that activity. The Colorado Outdoor Mentors and CTU hope to make those connections and provide those opportunities. By encouraging mentors to share their enjoyment of the outdoors with a child on a regular basis, we can make a significant impact on that child’s perception of the outdoors.

Check in to the events section of www.coloradotu.org to stay up to date on upcoming youth education events throughout the summer.

***Let’s Fish! Day Camp - July 12th, July 19th, and a night of camping on August 3rd - 4th

Colorado Parks and Wildlife’s Angler Outreach Program and Colorado Trout Unlimited are offering a special youth family fishing program for Denver and the surrounding areas. These fishing clinics are designed to recruit and encourage youth participation in fishing and camping. Fishing activities will build upon the skills learned the previous weekend and include: •    Warm Water and Fly Fishing Techniques •    Wildlife Management and Fish Ecology •    “Leave no trace” Camping in Golden Gate Canyon State Park Apply for the Let's Fish Day Camp here.

***Fall Outdoor Mentors Festival - August 16th at Barr Lake State Park

Contact Garrett Hanks at ghanks@tu.org for more information about Colorado Outdoor Mentors and how to participate in future events.

CTU Offers the Experience of a Lifetime for High Schoolers

Know a kid age 14-18 with an interest in fly fishing and cold-water conservation? Colorado Trout Unlimited gives high school youth the experience of a lifetime at 2014 River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp! Greetings TU Members,

Registration is now open for the 2014 CTU River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp, June 8-13 at the Bar N I Ranch near Weston, Colorado.  The camp is open to all Colorado youth ages 14-18. The camp is designed to educate students on the importance of coldwater conservation and provide hands-on fly fishing instruction. Approximately 20 students are selected each year, based on their qualifications and a written essay on why they would like to attend the camp.

Camp classes include: principles of ecology, hydro-geology, aquatic vertebrate and invertebrate sampling, hydrology, trout behavior, the biology of pollution, acid deposition, and politics of conservation and human effects on the Rocky Mountains. In addition, the camp will include hands-on classes such as fly tying, fly casting, streamside ethics, angling literature, streamside botany, wader safety and survival, and the evolution of an angler. Students will also participate in a watershed project to repair habitat in a nearby stream. The River Conservation and Fly Fishing Youth Camp includes faculty from various environmental fields and state agencies such as the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Department of Environmental Protection and National Forest Service.

Megan Branine, a camp alumni, said of her experience, “The past five days have been the greatest experiences of my life. In this week, I have developed a love for a sport I aim to continue. All components of this camp—the  science, the fishing and the social aspects—have all benefited me greatly.  They have given me a passion to protect our rivers and wild lands as well as great memories to take with me.”

The cost to attend the 6 day camp is $450, but financial aid is often available via local chapter sponsorship.

For more information and to download the application, please visit http://www.coloradotu.org/river-conservation-and-fly-fishing-youth-camp/.

Colorado TU Seeks Youth Coordinator

Do you want to help make a difference in the lives of Colorado youth?  Colorado Trout Unlimited is currently seeking candidates for our Youth Coordinator position.  Engaging the next generation of anglers and conservationists is vital, and our youth initiatives like Stream Explorers and Outdoor Mentors have grown by leaps and bounds over the past 3 years.  We are seeking an energetic self-starter who can carry those efforts forward to continued growth and success in the years to come.  Click here for a more detailed position announcement and details on how to apply.  Applicants are being accepted through February 7.

Granby students win "Water Is Life" Mural and Art Challenge

Renowned muralist and conservationist Wyland announced today that Katrina Larson's art students at East Grand Middle School were named the grand prize winners of the National "Water Is Life" Classroom mural contest for grades 5-8. The  contest, inspired by the growing demands on U.S. water resources, took place Oct. 21-Nov. 21, and drew more than 9,000 students across 45 states. Participating students painted 50 square-foot murals depicting the range of habitats and uses for water throughout the United States. "America's water resources are among our greatest treasures," said Wyland, the artist whose pioneering marine life murals are seen by more than 1 billion people around the world every year. "Our coastal waters, rivers, and lakes support millions of people. But like anything they need our attention and art helps put that into focus."

As part of the national "Water Is Life" competition, the Wyland Foundation and its partners provided 300 schools with paint supplies, educational materials, and 50 square foot canvas murals to look at the economic, cultural and aesthetic value of American waters. Additional schools that participated created artworks on other surfaces - from sidewalks to school buildings. The contest encouraged students to study local and national water issues and work collaboratively. Winning classes receive $250 for art supplies, a signed Wyland artwork, and a chance for a live online painting lesson with Wyland

Twelve students at East Grand Middle Schools, ranging in grades from 6th-7th, worked on the mural entitled, "Save the Fraser River." Program organizers hope the process of interpreting water-based habitats through art will lead students to a greater understanding of their role as future caretakers of the resource.  An individual art contest for grades K-12 was also held concurrently. Details at wylandfoundation.org/artchallenge.

The National "Water Is Life" Classroom mural contest was presented in partnership with Fredrix Artist Canvas, Arts & Activities Magazine, National Van Lines, the US Forest Service, the Georgia Aquarium and Marco Fine Arts.

Check out the beautiful "Save the Fraser River" mural.

Colorado Outdoor Mentors program kicks off

Last weekend marked the official kick off of the Colorado Outdoor Mentors Program.  On Saturday September 28, several organizations came together for an outdoor skills festival at Barr Lake State Park. With the help of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Pheasants Forever, Environmental Learning for Kids, the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory, the Wildlife Experience, the American Canoe Association, and CTU over 200 people had the chance to try their hand at a wealth of outdoor activities and learn about native wildlife. Spearheaded by CTU, this Colorado Outdoor Mentors Initiative seeks to assemble a cohesive coalition of conservation organizations, state agencies, youth development organizations, and other key outdoor recreation stakeholders in Colorado to focus efforts on providing outdoor education to non-traditional audiences. By partnering with youth mentoring organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters and Denver Kids Inc., we can give more children the chance to learn how to fish, hunt, shoot, camp, and experience Colorado’s great outdoors.

Continuing participation for children who are exposed to outdoor opportunities often depends upon having a trusted adult who can share in those activities.  By partnering with mentoring organizations, the Outdoor Mentors program will help jointly expose youth and their adult mentors to hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation – planting the seeds for mentors and youth alike to continue to experience the outdoors together.  By encouraging mentors to share their enjoyment of the outdoors with a child on a regular basis we can make a significant impact on that child’s perception of the outdoors. Also, it is our experience that many youth who participate in outdoor education programs represent a self-selected population from families who already hunt, fish, and engage in outdoor activities. By partnering with youth development organizations we can reach a population that have never caught a fish, shot a bow, or been in a canoe.

This program follows a successful model set forth by Pass it On Outdoor Mentors in Kansas. Pass it On Outdoor Mentors began as a program of Kansas Big Brother Big Sisters in 2002 and focused on recruiting members to spend time outdoors with a child. In 2006, the program spun off into a separate 501(c)3 with the goal of providing support to other youth mentoring organizations throughout the country. Today 20% of community-based matches for Kansas Big Brothers Big Sisters participate in Outdoor Mentors programming.  In  2011, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies Directors unanimously endorsed the Pass it On Outdoor Mentors model as one that “would greatly expand the ability of state fish and wildlife agencies to engage in  more and new recruitment and retention activities by leveraging capacities of multiple stakeholder groups.”  A recent study by Responsive Management of 37 hunter and angler recruitment and retention programs highlighted one of the great accomplishments of Pass it On Outdoor Mentors. The study showed that 43% of participants in their programs come from families that do not hunt, shoot, or fish – they are reaching the kids who need to be reached.   With the second highest rate being 20%, no other program in the study came close to these results.  It is our goal to replicate the successes of this program in Colorado.

If you are interested in getting involved with this initiative, or better yet, mentoring a youth in the outdoors, please contact Jake Lemon, CTU Youth Education Coordinator, at jake.lemon@coloradotu.org or 720-354-2646.

Outdoor Mentors at Barr Lake State Park

Join Colorado TU, CPW, and others for the inaugural Outdoor Mentors event at Barr Lake State Park! Try your hand at fly fishing, archery, bait-fishing, birding, canoeing, laser gun range, geocaching and more! The event is free and open to any youth 18 and under with their families. Only a $7.00 daily park pass per vehicle or annual pass required. For more information, contact Jake Lemon at jake.lemon@coloradotu.org.

Colorado TU Gets Families Outdoors

The first annual Family Fly Fishing Camp was held in early August in beautiful Gilpin County, Colorado. At this camp several families had the chance to spend a weekend camping and learning about the beauty and fun of fly fishing! With the help of TU volunteers, participants were introduced to fly casting, aquatic macroinvertebrates, fly tying, and fly fishing. The program was open to youth age 9-13 and a responsible adult mentor (parent, grandparent, etc). There were some great memories made as several kids caught there first fish on a fly rod! Continuing participation for children who are exposed to outdoor opportunities often depends upon having a trusted adult who can share in those activities. By engaging entire families, we are planting the seeds for them to continue to experience the outdoors together. By encouraging families to share their enjoyment of the outdoors on a regular basis we can make a significant impact on their perception of our natural resources.

If you are interested in learning more about the family fly fishing camp model and how to bring it to your community, please contact Jake Lemon at jake.lemon@coloradotu.org or 720-354-2646.

Touring Kerber Creek

“I didn’t know that Trout Unlimited did that!” This was the phrase I heard mentioned by a couple of students and professors during a tour I conducted of the Kerber Creek Restoration Project on June 4, 2013. The tour focused on various stream restoration projects and techniques that have been on-going in the watershed since 2008. Several students from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS) and Colorado College (CC) visited Kerber Creek outside of Villa Grove, Colorado as part of their course curriculum, and were accompanied by a professor from each school. I was contacted earlier in the year by one of the professors to conduct a watershed tour of Kerber Creek so I developed a plan that would give the students a good overview of the legacy mining issues that created the problems existing today throughout the watershed. Back to the initial phrase. You would be surprised how many people think TU is “just a fishing club.” However, TU’s national staff is composed of 183 passionate individuals that strive to conserve, protect, and restore North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds, most of whom also love fishing. My program specifically targets Colorado watersheds affected by legacy hard-rock mining, like Kerber Creek, Lake Fork of the Arkansas, and Clear Creek.

I started the tour at the Cocomongo Mill/Mine in the upper watershed, which provided a good representation of where and how historic mining operations took place, and the mine wastes/tailings commonly left behind. I explained the mining and milling processes and provided background information about the Bonanza Mining District. The setting included a large mill structure surrounded by piles of multicolored mine wastes within the Kerber Creek corridor. The students were captivated by the site and eager to learn more about the restoration techniques used to improve these conditions.

The next stop was near the confluence of Brewery Creek and Kerber Creek where 32 in-stream rock structures and 2.14 acres of mine waste reclamation had taken place the year prior. This site showcased what is possible when local stakeholders work together with government agencies and non-profit organizations. The students enjoyed seeing the finished structures and had countless excellent questions regarding rock structure type and purpose, soil amendment quantities and mixes, and grazing management techniques.

On the way down through the watershed we stopped at several sites, such as the repository that was completed in 1999, as well as past and future locations that exemplify the work accomplished through the Bonanza Stakeholder Group partnership, which is a collaboration of 16 federal, state, and local agencies, non-profit groups, and more than 20 local landowners. The final stop was at one of the largest private landowners in the lower watershed where work is taking place this fall. This site provided examples of existing mine waste deposits that were distributed throughout the floodplains during high flow events when tailing dams were breached in the 1900’s. The toxic mine waste deposits contain little to no vegetation and cannot sustain the high flows associated with spring runoff and summer storm periods.  This leads to unstable banks that erode, widening the stream, and eventually disconnecting the floodplain from the stream.

Conditions present at this site provided the students with a “before and after” glimpse of stream restoration. The entire site was walked from the degraded section, downstream to a recently restored segment that included in-stream rock structures and willow transplants.  I was impressed by the quality of questions and general interest of the students. I could tell that they were genuinely interested in the project and excited to be in the field observing actual conditions. The tour concluded with a question and answer portion that included questions about the history of the watershed, background information, and restoration procedures. Each correct answer yielded praise from fellow students and the grand prize of a………TU t-shirt!

The tour consisted of a unique group of students in that a majority of them were pursuing different forms of environmentally based degrees. In my opinion, this proved for a well-rounded tour and a broader range of questions asked by the students. It was great to see that they really appreciated the tour and the opportunity to see actual stream restoration. TU would like to thank both programs of CC and UCCS for the opportunity to help educate and inform the students about the importance of preserving our local ecosystems and watersheds. If the group that attended this tour is any indication of the quality of future ecologists, engineers, biologists, and scientists then I feel inclined to say that successful efforts to conserve, protect, and restore North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds should continue for years to come.

- Jason Willis, Mine Restoration Field Coordinator Colorado Abandoned Mines Project, Trout Unlimited