Fishing Clubs Still Need Volunteers

Help especially needed in Syracuse, Clearfield, Kaysville and Nephi

Want to help a group of kids have one of the best experiences they’ll have all summer?

Then sign up to become a youth fishing club volunteer!

The Division of Wildlife Resources is looking for volunteers to teach 6- to 13-year-olds about fish, the places fish live and how to catch them.

Adult volunteers are needed in communities stretching from Logan to Washington City. The following communities are still looking for volunteers to help in their clubs:

Logan (two clubs)

Brigham City (one club)

Ogden (one club)

Roy (one club)

Clinton (two clubs)

Syracuse (one club)

Clearfield (one club)

Kaysville (one club)

Bountiful (two clubs)

Murray (two clubs)

Riverton (one club)

South Jordan (one club)

Highland Glen (one club)

Orem (one club)

Spanish Fork (two clubs)

Saratoga Springs (one club)

Payson (one club)

Nephi (one club)

Washington City (one club)


Anyone can help

While all of the clubs need volunteers, help is especially needed in Syracuse, Clearfield, Kaysville and Nephi.

“You don't need a lot of fishing experience to volunteer," says Chris Penne, community fisheries coordinator for the DWR.

“If you have a positive attitude, patience and good communication skills, you have everything we're looking for. We'll teach you everything else you'll need to know to have a great experience with these kids."

Penne says a number of rewards await those who volunteer.

"One of the biggest thrills you'll have is seeing the look on a young one's face when they reel in their first fish. Experiencing that will make your whole summer," he says. "Helping connect today's youth with the natural world around them is also something that our volunteers find rewarding."

What you’ll do

The clubs meet at the fishing pond in their community for six to eight weeks. The children spend the first 30 minutes of each two-hour class learning about fish, how to catch them and about the fishes' habitat. Then the adult volunteers take the kids to the pond and help them use their new skills to catch fish.

“2007 was our most successful year yet,” Penne says. “About 3,000 kids and 270 volunteers participated in the six-week program. Many of the volunteers were folks who had volunteered the year before. After seeing the positive influence they had the kids, they wanted to help in the program again.”

New Kids Program to Combat Nature Deficit

April 24, (Reston, VA) The National Wildlife Federation (NWF) has launched a new initiative to inform parents, caregivers, educators and elected officials about the importance of outdoor experiences in children’s lives and to increase the number of children who spend time exploring the outdoors.

This generation of children spends so much time indoors that they are becoming increasingly disconnected from nature. A Kaiser Family Foundation study finds that U.S. children (ages 8 to 18) spend an average of 6.5 hours a day inside using electronic media: computers, video games, television and MP3 players.

With the high incidence of childhood obesity, high blood pressure, attention deficit diagnoses and more, it’s a growing trend that has profound implications for the health and well-being of today’s children.

NWF’ Green Hour program, developed as part of its new initiative, is a first step in helping to reverse the “nature deficit” in today’s children. It’s designed to help get kids—and their parents—off the couch, out the door and exploring the world around them.

“Through Green Hour and related programs, NWF is committed to reversing this indoor trend, assuring that youngsters enjoy the many benefits of outdoor time,” says Kevin Coyle, Vice President of Education Programs. “As they experience the world around them, they will also grow to love and care for it. This initiative offers hope for the welfare of our children as well as the future of environmental stewardship.”

National Wildlife Federation’s Green Hour program and the Green Hour website, www.greenhour.org , show parents and caregivers how children benefit greatly from an hour of unstructured outdoor play each day. There they can learn practical skills and how to experiment in the physical world. While their imaginations soar, their stress levels can drop. They can become fitter and leaner, and some studies show that their immune systems also grow stronger.

Time spent surrounded by nature helps young people see where they fit in the world, the value of wildlife and wild places and the true meaning of conservation. When kids don’t experience nature first-hand, it’s unlikely they will grow up wanting to protect it.

A child’s Green Hour can take place in any green space where children can safely learn and explore; in a garden, a backyard, the park down the street. Some ideas for outdoor exploration, recommended by the National Wildlife Federation, are:

• Enjoy a five senses hike
• Organize a nature scavenger hunt
• Explore a local nature trail
• Camp out in the backyard
• Take a nature photo safari
• Put up a bird feeder and watch for visitors
• Observe the night sky
• Plant a family tree and watch it grow
• Invite neighborhood kids to join in a bug walk and critter talk

At the Green Hour website, parents and caregivers can share their family’s backyard adventures and outdoor ideas with each other as members of an online community. They can also learn how to adapt activities for different ages, experience levels and learning styles. And for rainy days and inclement weather, the site recommends books, kid-friendly recipes, crafts and tactile activities, all relevant to natural and seasonal themes.

As NWF’s initiative expands, efforts will include support of revolutionary state and federal policy changes that will foster increased daily outdoor time for children.

NWF’s Green Hour program is sponsored by Wild Birds Unlimited. “Wild Birds Unlimited is very proud to be a sponsor of the National Wildlife Federation’s Green Hour™ program,” said John Schaust, Chief Naturalist at Wild Birds Unlimited. “Our mission has always been to bring people and nature together, and it is imperative that we reconnect children to the wonders of the natural world.”

The National Wildlife Federation is America’s conservation organization protecting wildlife for our children’s future.

Volunteers needed to teach kids how to fish

You can help a group of kids have one of the best experiences they'll have all summer by helping out in one of Utah's youth fishing clubs.

The Division of Wildlife Resources is looking for adult volunteers to teach six to 13 year olds about fishing and the places where fish live. Volunteers are needed in communities stretching from Logan to Salem.

Youth fishing clubs have been established in the following communities, and each club needs volunteers to help:

Logan (two clubs)
Brigham City(one club)
Ogden(one club)
Roy(one club)
Clinton(two clubs)
Syracuse(one club)
Clearfield(one club)
Farmington(one club)
Bountiful(two clubs)
Murray(two clubs)
Riverton(one club)
South Jordan(one club)
Herriman(one club)
Orem(one club)
Spanish Fork(two clubs)
Salem(one club)
Saratoga Springs(one club)
"In Syracuse, Riverton and Herriman, we're starting from scratch," says Drew Cushing, community fisheries biologist for the DWR. "These clubs are brand new, and we need lots of volunteers to help."

Volunteer training will be held in each of the communities in February. The training takes one evening to complete. The clubs of about 40 to 80 children each will be formed by April.

To volunteer, or for more information, call Cushing at (801) 538-4774 before Feb. 1. You can also send an e-mail to him at AndrewCushing@utah.gov.

Anyone can help

While volunteers need to be patient and have good communication and teaching skills, they don't need a lot of fishing experience to help. "After they've completed the training, I'm sure they'll feel completely comfortable getting together with their youth fishing club, even if they don't have a lot of fishing experience," Cushing says.

After the training, groups of volunteers spend about two hours once a week, from April through June or July, teaching children about fish and fishing by fishing with them at a local water.

Cushing says a number of rewards await those who volunteer. "When they see the look on a kid's face, the first time they catch a fish, it'll probably make their whole summer," he says.

Youth fishing clubs growing in popularity

"2006 was our most successful year yet," Cushing says. "About 2,500 kids and 250 volunteers participated in the six-week program. Many of the volunteers were folks who had volunteered the year before. They saw the positive influence they had had on these kids, and they wanted to help in the program again."

Cushing says city recreation departments have started offering fishing as a sport, and that's one of biggest reasons for the program's success. "For the first time, fishing has found its way into mainstream sports, right along with soccer, baseball and football," he says.

As the number of children and communities involved in the program continues to grow, so does the need for volunteers. "The number of kids who can participate is largely determined by the number of adults who volunteer to help," Cushing says.

Please Lend A Hand!

Rough Times befall Petersen Elementary Employee



Shanna Sullivan, a long time employee of Petersen Elementary is
pregnant with her first child and is due any day. Unfortunately, last
night a fire erupted in their home and most of the home is at a loss,
including all clothing and all the brand new baby furniture and clothes.
The family is safe and Shanna's two sons ages 7 and 8 are safe and her
husband is safe.



Petersen Elementary is asking this wonderful Castle Valley community
for help in bringing Shanna and her baby home to furniture and all other
necessities. If you are willing to donate any kitchen items, old
televisions, baby clothing or items or clothing for 2nd and 3rd grade
boys, please contact Petersen Elementary School at 888-4474. There are
also accounts open at Sunnyside Credit Union and Eastern Utah Credit
Union if you would like to make a cash donation in the name of Shanna
Sullivan.



The kids sizes are 10/12 and 7/8.

______________________________________________

Friends: Cynthia Marie Owen was killed in a car accident right before Christmas. The family needs help covering the expenses of this tragedy. A benefit concert as well as a raffle will be held on January 13, 2007, 7:00pm at the Price Elk's Lodge. There will be a $5.00 admission for the concert and $1.00 for raffle tickets. If you cannot make this function you may want to donate to the Cynthia Marie Owen fund at Zion's Bank in Price on Carbon Ave.