Partnerships with Trout Unlimited: Collaborative Ways to Create the Next Generation of Conservationists

Trout Unlimited (TU), through its grassroots, offers a huge variety of youth outreach projects specifically focused on watersheds, fisheries, and fishing.  A stream of projects and programs serves youth at every age.  First, Trout (and Salmon) in the Classroom reaches elementary-aged students (5-13) throughout the school year and includes both indoor and outdoor programming.  Then, Stream Explorers field days that include stream investigation and fishing instruction are designed for middle-school-aged kids (8-14).  Some teenagers have the opportunity to attend TU summer camps across the country, experiencing immersion in a week of conservation and flyfishing (13-18).  And finally, new college-level TU groups are forming with an emphasis on watershed-oriented service learning for young adults (17-22).  At every level, the TU youth and volunteers need to learn from the expertise and experience of professional fisheries biologists, whose partnerships and support are crucial to the success of TU programs.