...A modern conservation solution Mary Waclawski and Patrick Pham
About Us - Class of 2019 at James Madison High School - Vienna, VA/Fairfax County - Members of Northern Virginia Trout Unlimited
Purpose Today s Agenda Local hea st Sou t we st Mid est ific thw Sou SW ins Pac ific Pac ka Alas -Pla ACTION Mtn ast the Awareness Nor NW NATIONAL Analysis
No Defined Program for High Schoolers Trout In the Classroom - Raise brook trout (K-12) 5 Rivers Program (college) - Conservation volunteering - Encourage sustainable fishing
Need for Citizen Science Public involvement in scientific research - Engage communities in environmental awareness
No defined program for high schoolers Need for citizen science
...A mission-driven solution to educating high schoolers on conservation - by students, for students!
Local Level: Northern Virginia Team of 20+ students from Madison HS Conduct sub-watershed assessments Data used by scientific professionals Va Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, US Forest Service, Virginia Outdoors Foundation
Our Work Collaborate with DGIF, USFS, VOF Test stream health identify suitable streams for brook trout Analyze data - Real world experience - Year-round process - Field safety = top priority Students train students!
Our Legacy Featured on front page of Metro Section in The Washington Post, April 28, 2018 Presented at Virginia s annual American Fisheries Society meeting, 2017 & 2018 Make a Difference, a feature film at Angelika Mosaic, Merrifield, VA 2017 Environmental Film Festival Visited and briefed Virginia's Governor and Secretary of Natural Resources 1st Place Award at VSSEF in Spring 2018 Featured in Trout Magazine
Testimonials Your assessment of several Forest Service streams has given us has given us a good initial resource assessment with an eye towards brook trout conservation. - Dawn Kirk, Forest Fisheries Biologist, US Forest Service It s fantastic that you and your peers are engaging this level of natural resource conservation at your scholastic level. It s a wonderful thing for your team to be able to articulate habitat needs of brook trout and transfer this information to others inside and outside of your core group to bring awareness of conservation needs of our state fish! - John Odenkirk, Fisheries Biologist, VA Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Impact Preserve aquatic ecosystems Foster a sustainable native fish population Research opportunity for high school students Apply classroom science tangibly
Becoming a National Program AAA Initiative 1. Awareness: Identifying the problem 2. Action: Effects and solution 3. Analysis: Impact of solution Divide into regions based on US Fish and Wildlife Service
- 8 different regions (US Fish & Wildlife) - May have different projects, but SAME METHOD & MISSION
Awareness: Identify problem Problems vary: Increasing water temperatures Erosion Sedimentation Point/nonpoint sources of pollution Culverts
Action: Effects and Solution Pre-assessment Identifying instantaneous thresholds (e.g. high water temperature, culverts, etc.) Field work Collect data, identify severity of problem Trout Out of the Classroom - Stream Team, Stream Restoration
Action Examples Nationwide issues Rising temperatures What YOU can do: - Temperature loggers - Plant native trees (increase shade decrease water temps)
Action examples (continued) Baseline Action Izaak Walton League: Save Our Streams...check water quality in local streams. Share...findings with the League,...get a clear picture of water quality across the country...restore your stream to good health.
Analysis: Impact of Solution Post-assessment analyze findings share findings - publish papers, attending &conferences American Fisheries Society
TIA Charter Teens In Action I TA
TU s Trout In the Classroom Trout Out of the Classroom TIA -Trout Unlimited -Izaak Walton League -American Fisheries Society FACILITATES EXPANSION AAA PROCESS -Awareness -Action -Analysis
Youth Involvement and TU s Future younger adults = more concerned about environmental quality than older adults 64% of young adults* (18-29) rate environmental protection as a top priority for Congress *according to PEW Research Center
Youth Involvement and TU s Future Urban & suburban areas (80% of US population) latch-key kids are raised by parents who were also latch-key kids - connection to nature is now twice removed! The need to get students outside is even more dire!
Youth Involvement and TU s Future Trout Out of the Classroom encourage participation through resource conservation MORE TU MEMBERS
SCAN for website! www.troutoutoftheclassroom.weebly.com