NVATU Education focuses on education leveraging environmental science, the programs of our collaboration partners, and TU National programs to inform and teach our members and the youth of our community to be conservation active, responsible custodians of our stream habitat and fisheries to preserve them for future generations to enjoy.

NVATU EDUCATION

NVATU Education focuses on education leveraging environmental science, the programs of our collaboration partners, and TU National programs to inform and teach our members and the youth of our community to be conservation active, responsible custodians of our stream habitat and fisheries to preserve them for future generations to enjoy

NVATU Education presently incorporates four education activities; Stream Guide, Trout in the Classroom (TIC), Stream Girls/Stream Keepers, and the NVATU/BSA Fly Fishing Merit Badge program.

STREAM GUIDE

The extremely popular NVATU Stream Guide (Washington D.C. Area Trout Fishing), now in its third edition, provides an introduction to more than 30 streams located within a day trip of Northern Virginia. The guide provides updated information on directions, regulations, and stream access as well as expanded stream descriptions to provide anglers with a deeper understanding of what they will experience when they visit these streams. If you are new to fly fishing or recently arrived, this guide is a “must have” reference for streams in our area. The guide features GPS coordinates that direct the reader to parking lots and access points. Helpful fishing tips from our chapter members and local guides give the reader an edge for a successful day on the stream. Guides may be purchased at local fly shops or under the “about” tab of this website.

TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM

Trout in the Classroom is a conservation-oriented environmental education program for elementary, middle, and high school students. Through the school year, students raise trout from eggs to fry and then release them into approved cold water streams. This act of raising, monitoring, and caring for young trout fosters a conservation ethic within participating students and promotes an understanding of their shared water resources.

The Trout in the Classroom (TIC) https://www.virginiatu.org/education program continues to be a flagship education program for NVATU and has operated for 14 years. The program has recovered substantially from 8 tanks in Spring 2021 (post covid) to 36 tanks by October 2023, with 23 participating schools. We need a pool of at least 20 volunteers to draw from to deliver eggs in the fall and release fish in the spring. If you are interested in volunteering for this activity or if you are aware of a school that would like to initiate a TIC program, please contact George Paine at gpaine@novatu.org

STREAM GIRLS/KEEPERS

Stream Girls is a Trout Unlimited patch program held in conjunction with the Girl Scouts of America to teach cadet level girl scouts about conservation, stream ecology, fly fishing, and fly tying. Stream Girls is part of the Trout Unlimited Headwaters Youth Program. Detailed information on the Stream Girls program can be found at www.tu.org/streamgirls. The participating scouts receive workbooks and are charged with assessing the health of a local stream. They take and record chemical and temperature measurements, identify macroinvertebrates, calculate water flow, learn about standard protocols and then review the data they have gathered to agree on the stream condition. Scouts also, have the opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of the stream environment as they participate in the stream walk. Although the program is actively supported by chapters in other regions of the country, NVATU is the only chapter to offer this program in Virginia.

Stream Keepers is gender neutral version of the identical program, not associated with GSA, originally designed to serve boy scout troops but available to any youth organization.

For more information on Stream girls/StreamKeepers events, if you would like to volunteer for a future event or if you know a cadet level Girl Scout troop or other youth group who might be interested, please contact bparker@novatu.org. Also, check out the event reports below.

NVATU/BSA BOY SCOUT FLY FISHING MERIT BADGE PROGRAM

NVATU, in conjunction with the National Capital Area Council of Boy Scouts sponsors a one day “immersion” in the techniques and artistry of fly fishing, complying with the BSA requirements for the Fly Fishing Merit Badge. Activities include fly tying, knot tying, fly casting, flyfishing, and macroinvertebrate sampling. Scouts completing the event receive sign-off for their Fly Fishing Merit Badge and a complimentary membership in the TU Headwaters Youth Program.

For further information on the BSA Merit Badge Program, if you wish to volunteer, or if you know scouts who wish to complete this badge, please contact Ernie Snowden esnowden@novatu.org. Also, check out the event reports below.

SCOUTS-PAST EVENTS

NVATU EDUCATION – NVATU/BSA FLY FISHING MERIT BADGE EVENT

2020 SCOUT UNIVERSITY

NVTU participated in the 2020 Scout University held at Hayfield secondary School, Alexandria VA on 2/29/2020.

We presented NVTU’s conservation, education, fishing and community partners to over 1500 Scout Leaders from VA, DC, MD and Del at our display table during the event.

Luke Hendrickson’s rolling slide show presentation of our Merit Badge Event featured the program we ran at the IWL in September of 2019. This added an additional level to our ability to communicate the NVTU value to Scouts.

In addition, with Kirk Smith’s assistance we had the opportunity to dig deeper into these activities at a separate breakout session in a classroom environment during the day.

Scout University is an incubation opportunity to encourage Scouts to participate in the many offerings from NVTU, TIC,TOC, TIA, Community Support through involvement with CFR, MayFly, PHW, youth fishing days and others.

If handing out literature is any indication of success, most of what we had on our table was taken by the Scout Leaders. We also had at least a dozen sign out roster asking for addition info and to be included on our email list.

Thanks to all for helping out.

Each candidate was required to successful meet the Scout requirement for this Badge. We had 18 students ages 12-16. What made this event significant was the participation of 15 young ladies.

Cole Thomas coordinated the program from the Scout Troup end and Greg Wallace for the Izaack Walton League. Weather turned out to be perfect.

Our instructors included: John Davey, Les Goldsmith, Steve Moulton, Tony Hill, Don Hart, Mike Filchock, John Hadley, Bob Coatney, Don Lazenby, Dan Cunningham. Bill Errico and Jay Lovering provided assistance.

Positive feedback from all.

- Bill Errico

Stream Keepers is gender neutral version of the identical program, not associated with GSA, originally designed to serve boy scout troops but available to any youth organization.

PAST EVENTS

STREAM GIRLS FALL 2023

STREAM GIRLS SPRING 2023

STREAM GIRLS SPRING 2022

STREAM GIRLS FALL 2022