New TIC Community Tank at the CSU Spur Hydro Building

Attending the National Western Stock Show in Denver this month? Then you can come see our new Trout In The Classroom (TIC) Community Tank at the CSU Spur Hydro building. Located at 4817 National Western Dr, Denver, CO 80216, the Hydro building is the newest addition to the CSU Spur campus.

Our Community Tank, with the help of the Denver Trout Unlimited Chapter, currently holds three-month old trout who are actively feeding, swimming, and growing. Come learn more about Trout In The Classroom and the other amazing programs and opportunities the CSU Spur has to offer!

CTU will have a table next to the tank on Saturday, January 14th for CSU Spur Day at the Stock Show and Monday, January 16th for Martin Luther King Day.

CTU Youth Programs Update

First off, thank you to everyone who donated and supported CTU Youth during our Colorado Gives Day campaign! We accomplished our goal and then some, for a grand total of $7,675! Thank also to Barbara Luneau and Mark Rayman for offering a matching incentive and helping to double our donor’s donations by $2,500.

2023 is looking bright for CTU’s Headwaters Programs. We are beginning to plan out our 2023 STREAM
Girls and STREAM Keepers schedule. If you are interested in offering a STREAM Girls or STREAM Keepers program in 2023 fill out the forms below.

• 2023 STREAM Girls Inquiry Form

• 2023 STREAM Keepers Inquiry Form

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Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is looking forward to 2023, as well. We will be installing a new TIC Community Tank at the CSU Spur Hydro Building in late December or early January. We hope to have the tank working and fish swimming by the time The National Western Stock Show is running. If you are going to the Stock Show be sure to visit the new CSU Spur Hydro Building and TIC Community Tank on the second floor.

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We are excited to announce our 2023 River Conservation & Fly Fishing Camp will be June 11 - 17, 2023. Registration is now open for Camper applications and Camp Counselor applications. Visit our Camp website for more information.

Want to help CTU’s 2023 River Conservation & Fly Fishing Camp? Below are some great ways to show your support.

• Help us spread the word!

  • Download and share our 2023 River Conservation & Fly Fishing Camp Flyer.

• Sponsor a Camper!

  • Camp Registration is $600 per camper. If you would like to sponsor a camper please email Barbara Luneau or Natalie Flowers.

• Volunteer!

  • Camp Counselor applications are now open. Click here to apply to be a CTU Camp Counselor.

Thank you for all the support in 2022. We can’t wait to continue fostering the next generation of conservations and anglers in 2023!

If you would like to increase your impact, please contact Natalie Flowers and/or visit our Supporting CTU Youth page to see our greatest needs, sponsorship opportunities, and more.

Trout in the Classroom Update: The Trout Eggs Are Here!

By Natalie Flowers, CTU Youth Coordinator

It was a busy fall for Trout in the Classroom (TIC) in Colorado, as sites, chapters, and volunteers worked diligently to fundraise, purchase, and set up TIC equipment across the state. Trout Egg Delivery Days finally came on September 28th for 27 tanks across the state, then on October 25th, another 23 tanks received their shipment. Approximately 11,600 Rainbow Trout eggs from Colorado Parks & Wildlife’s Crystal River Hatchery were transported and delivered successfully to these 50 TIC tanks.

John Davenport

John Davenport, CTU Statewide TIC Coordinator, arranged the Trout Express teams, recruited volunteers, and then pitched in as the rainbow trout eggs were transported across Colorado. CTU staff and volunteers then delivered the eggs to their specific schools. TIC educators, students, and volunteers took over by tempering the eggs so they would not experience shock and settled them into their new homes.

Once situated, educators and students began monitoring tank levels and surveying, supporting the growth of the fish. Most of the trout eggs hatched within 7 to 10 days after delivery, and some of the alevins began to swim in another 7 to 10 days.

This year, the TIC story has just started. Educators and students are eager to see how their fish will grow and will be monitoring their trout throughout the school year. Students will learn about the trout lifecycle, weigh their fish weekly, and maintain tank health. At the end of the school year for each school, students will celebrate a big day that culminates all their hard work – The TIC Trout Release Day.

CTU would like to give a special thank you to some amazing people and organizations that made our TIC Egg Delivery Days possible; John Davenport, John Covert, Ray Nagashima, John Bryant, David Nickum, Fred Miller, Madi Shaheen, Cory Neumiller, Michele White, Dennis Cook, Bret Linenfelser, Brendan Besetzny, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife Service, A. Alfred Taubman Foundation, Rafael Levy Memorial Foundation, TIC educators, TIC chapter volunteers, TIC students, TIC volunteers, and all the other incredible Trout Express Delivery volunteers.

If you would like to support the Trout in the Classroom program or help fund any TIC sites that are currently on our waiting list please email Natalie Flowers, Youth Education Coordinator for CTU.

To learn more about the Trout in the Classroom program visit https://coloradotu.org/trout-in-the-classroom.

CTU Develops New Partnerships with STREAM Keepers Programs

Credit: Lincoln Hills Cares

by Geoff Elliot, Youth Education Coordinator, Colorado Trout Unlimited

Summer 2021 brought a return to in-person programming and opportunities! With the recent success of the STREAM Girls program in reaching new audiences of elementary through middle-school girls and their families, CTU sought opportunities to adapt the program to reach new, diverse audiences. Fortunately, we were not alone in seeing this opportunity and could build off the STREAM Keepers resources developed by other TU volunteers and staff.

With the goal of reaching new and diverse audiences, we knew this effort could not be achieved alone. To help us build the STREAM Keepers program in Colorado, we collaborated with youth serving organizations, community coalitions, and school districts. In partnership with these groups, CTU worked to refine the curriculum and identify suitable locations to connect participants with their watersheds. In the end, the STREAM Keepers program focused on watershed exploration, fly casting/fishing, macroinvertebrate sampling, and fly tying (if time allowed).

Credit: Eagle Valley Outdoor Movement

In June and July, CTU hosted three STREAM Keepers events in partnership with Littleton Public Schools Extended Middle School, Eagle Valley Outdoor Movement – A GOCO Generation Wild Coalition, and Lincoln Hills Cares. Across these three collaborations, CTU connected with 100 youth and families. This included students who struggled amidst the pandemic, Spanish-speaking families, and youth from immigrant communities. With Littleton Public Schools, students explored Lee Gulch, competed in a casting olympics, and learned to tie a midge pattern. In partnership with Lincoln Hills Cares and Eagle Valley Outdoor Movement, youth and families enjoyed on-site fishing opportunities (with some participants catching fish) and macroinvertebrate sampling in small stream! At the conclusion of these STREAM Keepers programs, participants expressed their excitement to continue fly fishing and share their appreciation for local watersheds.

A big THANK YOU goes out to the volunteers who led and facilitated activities during each program, as well as the partners who recruited and provided space for these events! Colorado Trout Unlimited is excited to continue to build the STREAM Keepers program by cultivating new partnerships and further developing existing ones to provide increased access to watershed exploration experiences and fly fishing opportunities! If you are interested in learning more about STREAM Keepers, other opportunities in the Headwaters Youth Program, or how to support CTU’s youth education program, please contact youth@coloradotu.org!

Reflecting on the 2021 River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp

by Geoff Elliot, CTU Youth Education Coordinator

“This changes everything.” A camper shares this succinct recap of the experience with their parent during pick up after Colorado Trout Unlimited’s 2021 River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp.

After my first experience at camp, I wholeheartedly agree. CTU’s youth camp is truly a transformational experience. Between the camp community, educational programs, career exploration, and fly fishing experiences, CTU’s youth camp captures young anglers and conservationists at many levels. They have the opportunity to spend a week with long-minded peers from across the state, learn from natural resource professionals, develop fly fishing and fly tying skills, and recognize the importance of fisheries and watershed management. Through these diverse experiences, they connect the dots between outdoor recreation and conservation in fly fishing and beyond.

In 2021, campers:

• Participated in fish population surveys by electroshocking Illinois Creek with CPW and USFWS.

• Conducted macroinvertebrate surveys to evaluate stream health and practice data analysis.

• Engaged in hands-on hydrology and stream flow experiments from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

• Learned about the importance of managing for Aquatic Invasive Species from CPW staff.

• Developed awareness of water law and management from TU National staff.

• Discussed Leave No Trace ethics for fly fishing in the front country and backcountry.

• Improved fly fishing and fly tying skills through mentorship with CTU volunteers.

• Fished private water on small streams and ponds to challenge and practice on diverse waters.

• Established a statewide community of young anglers and conservationist.

Among all of these, the community aspect resonates with me as the most powerful and impactful moving forward. By building relationships with like-minded peers, campers take all of these experiences and build upon them as their community grows and evolves beyond the camp experiences. Already we have seen the impacts of this, as campers reach out to share photos from fishing adventures with their newfound friends.

A big THANK YOU goes out to the incredible volunteers who mentored campers and supported camp logistics, programming, and everything else. CTU’s River Conservation and Fly Fishing Camp is a moving experience underscoring the passion among TU volunteers and the critical importance for sharing our love of rivers and trout with younger generations!

I am excited to continue to support this community moving forward and eager to build upon the 2021 camp experience moving forward!

Today is Colorado Gives Day - Support coldwater conservation!

Gives Day 2020 is here! Give to Colorado TU today and know your support for healthy watersheds and wild trout goes further. Every donation helps us to increase our portion of the Colorado Gives Day Incentive Fund. And every new or increased donation helps us to meet the Freestone Aquatics match. Today is a great day to support the rivers you love and the incredible fishing opportunities our beautiful state offers!

Your Gives Day donation to Colorado TU supports… 

STREAM Girls – a watershed education program that combines STEM-learning with fly fishing and outdoor education on a local watershed

Native trout restoration like the Sand Creek project in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve

Grassroots advocacy that gets results

Chapter projects that benefit watersheds and communities around the state

Give where you live and fish! Help us make 2021 a great year for healthy rivers and wild trout with your generous donation to Colorado TU TODAY!

Wishing you health and wellness!

--- the Colorado TU team

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

June Currents

The U.S. Senate is expected to vote next week on the Great American Outdoors Act, providing full dedicated funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund and providing $9.5 billion over five years to help address deferred maintenance needs on public lands. CTU thanks Senators Bennet and Gardner for their support of this important legislation. We also thank our many members who have reached out to their elected officials in support of public lands; your voices have helped build the political momentum that is propelling this legislation.  If you haven’t yet done so, consider taking a moment to thank our Senators for their efforts on this bill by clicking here. 

Additional stories include:

• CTU Introduces Virtual Happy Hours

• Now Hiring: CTU Youth Coordinator Full-Time

• Keeping it Close to Home: Pike, Bass and Panfish on the fly

• Colorado Water Plan Listening Sessions

• Featured Fly: Matt Callies’ Hare’s Ear Nymph

• Spring 2020 High Country Angler

• Featured Business Partner: Anglers All and more!

May Currents: Public Lands Photo Contest & TU Teens Live

Celebrate Locally

Public Lands Day May 16, 2020

As Coloradans we are blessed with a tremendous wealth of Public Lands – more than 23 million acres worth, or more than the entirety of 13 other U.S. States.  From State and National Parks to BLM lands, wildlife refuges to National Forests, our public lands provide a place for us to recreate, a driver for local economies around the state, and a means for Coloradans to connect with nature and recharge our minds, bodies, and spirits. In these challenging times, the importance of these treasured lands is as apparent as ever as thousands of us flock to our public lands to enjoy Colorado’s great outdoors in beautiful settings where we can maintain safe social distancing.

To highlight the importance of our public lands, Colorado celebrates Public Lands Day each year on the 3rd Saturday of May. With Public Lands Day 2020 just around the corner, here are a few ways you can celebrate:

• Opt outside and visit public lands near your community. Under Colorado’s safer-at-home guidelines, outdoor recreation like fishing and hiking on public lands close to your community offers a great way to celebrate. Don’t forget to share your photos on social media! #COPublicLandsDay

• Ask Congress to support our Public Lands.  Senators Bennet and Gardner both are sponsoring the Great American Outdoors Act, which would permanently fund the highly successful Land and Water Conservation Fund to invest in outdoor recreation and public lands as well as providing funds to address much-needed maintenance projects for public land facilities. Click here to ask your legislator to support the Great American Outdoors Act!

• Take part in online seminars and sessions celebrating public lands this week.  From a panel on the history of public lands (tonight) to a workshop on how to participate in volunteer monitoring of recreation impacts on public lands, there are a variety of virtual events in which you can participate.  Check out the calendar.

• Add something on public lands into your streaming.  For example, Amazon Prime currently offers Ken Burns’ outstanding documentary series The National Parks – America’s Best Idea. For kids K-12 a beautifully illustrated book, National Parks of the USA, by Kate Siber, can be found here.

• Share your favorite fishing or outdoor photo taken on Colorado's public lands and tag us, @colorado_trout_unlimited and use #COPublicLandsDay on Instagram for a chance to win a 4 piece Hardy fly rod by May 26, 2020. See details below.

However you may celebrate, all of us at Colorado TU wish you and yours a safe and enjoyable Colorado Public Lands Day!

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!