State grants to teach environmental stewards
An educational grant from the state Fish and Boat Commission will let hundreds of Pittsburgharea kids get their shoes muddy as they learn the meaning of environmental stewardship.
The grants are part of $160,000 awarded last week to support 14 education projects in four statewide initiatives and 10 counties, including Allegheny and Washington. Fish and Boat’s effort to recruit, retain and reactivate anglers and boaters is part of R3, an ongoing national strategic initiative.
“Education programs play a role in R3 by providing experiences that increase knowledge and skills, facilitate social support and provide information on opportunities close to home,“said Amber Nabors, Fish and Boat director of Outreach, Education and Marketing. “When we encourage people to get involved and stay involved, fishing and boating can become lifelong outdoor recreational activities that bring people together in our communities and benefit physical and mental health.”
The grants went to community governments and nonprofit groups to assist with the development and delivery of new or expanding R3 education programs, according to a statement from Fish and Boat. The funding can be used to purchase equipment, supplies and educational resources, provide transportation and cover other costs.
In Allegheny County, the Fern Hollow Nature Center in Sewickley Heights used a Fish and Boat R3 grant in 2010 to start an ongoing fishing club for middle and high school students, said Susie Moffett, Fern Hollow’s director of education. She was notified last week that this year the center will receive $2,500, a sum matched by funds from Fern Hollow.
“With the previous grant we bought fishing rods, reels, tackle and tackle boxes,” she said. “This one we’ll use to continue that program to promote awareness of the natural world that you can’t get just by sitting under a tree.”
The Fern Hollow program serves 400-500 kids per year from Quaker Valley and other school districts.
Nancy Stahlschmidt of Washington County Intermediate Unit 1 said an award of $1,500 plus matching funds will augment an ongoing outdoors stewardship program for students enrolled in alternative education and those with special needs in Washington, Greene and Fayette counties.
“We have about 250 kids K-12 in three schools. A couple of years ago we started a Trout in the Classroom program. The kids like caring for the trout and releasing them at Meadow Run,” she said. “This will be a natural extension of that — buying fishing equipment and taking them on a big field trip. We’ll also get waders, nets and other gear that they’ll use to explore stream health in the little creek that runs by one of the schools.”
Fly fishing classes
A popular fly fishing instruction program that was put on hold in the spring as a COVID-19 precaution will get underway in September. “Days on the Water,” taught by Pittsburgh fishing guides and managed by the Community College of Allegheny County, will open an introductory class exploring the fundamentals of fly fishing. Aimed at novice anglers, topics include fly casting, equipment selection, knot tying, basic entomology and fly selection, reading the water and hot spots to fly fish in Western Pennsylvania.
The eight-session course begins Sept. 8 and costs $149. For details and registration visit daysonthewater.com.