Thanks for asking,
Brian Bastarche
At 01:17 PM 6/7/01 -0500, you wrote:
>Personally, I commend you for your own efforts towards
>> education. Where, what and whom do you teach?
>>
>> --
>> Jay DeLong
>
>I look forward to Brian Bastarache's response to Jay's question and I think
>that it provides another opportunity for each of us to learn something about
>our fellow members. Since the recent thread regarding how people got
>started in the native fish hobby/profession seemed so popular, I suggest
>that we take this opportunity to tell what we are doing to spread the word.
>Who among us has "gotten off your ass and DID something" (to paraphrase
>Luke)? Tell us! I'll even start it off...
>
>I am lucky that I actually get paid to educate the public regarding all
>facets of natural history so I realize that I have more opportunities than
>most folks. The following items are a few things that I am currently
>involved in which I feel fall under the heading of educating the public:
>
>As a NANFA member:
>
>* I recently took on the position as Texas Regional Rep. and although I
>must admit that I haven't put together any activities as yet (Sorry George
>but like it or not, time is in short supply everywhere.) I do plan (not
>promise) to help educate existing members as well as recruit new members
>within the state.
>
>* I volunteered to help Chris S. with the task of proofreading the American
>Currents publication prior to printing. I have also volunteered to author
>items that he, as editor, requests. I think that everyone agrees this is a
>topnotch publication and contains educational information for all levels of
>interest and ability within the hobby.
>
>As Nature Center Supervisor for the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge:
>
>* Each year, my staff and I, host thousands of school age children for field
>trips where they get to explore the natural habitats of north central Texas
>including the waters, with its associated fauna, of the West Fork of the
>Trinity River.
>
>* Just yesterday, I was lead instructor for one of our Summer Natural
>History Adventures (a series of 8 hour workshops for grades K-8) which was
>called "Small Fry". This program targeted 3-4 graders and was designed to
>introduce inner city youth to the recreational activity of fishing. In
>addition to teaching knot tying, casting, etc., I provided a heavy dose of
>aquatic ecology and environmental stewardship.
>
>* In 1997, I introduced Camp Paddle & Cast, a program to introduce inner
>city, at-risk youth aged 8-16 to the wonders of the natural world. This
>overnight program, which is provided gratis to all participants, includes
>canoeing, camping, fishing, hiking, and aquatic ecology opportunities for
>approximately 300 youth annually. Many of these kids consider their local
>vacant lot a wilderness so introducing them to something like an
>orange-spotted sunfish that they caught in a dip net is pretty exciting.
>
>* I am currently in the construction phase of a new set of aquatic and
>wetland exhibits which will include approximately 500 gallons of native fish
>aquaria. The species to be exhibited have not been completely worked out
>but the objective of the overall exhibit is to introduce visitors to the
>diversity of the aquatic fauna of the region and to the dangers of habitat
>loss, pollution, sedimentation, etc. When completed, approximately 150,000
>people will view the exhibits annually.
>
>* I am the local coordinator for the Texas Master Naturalist program which
>strives to create a pool of trained volunteers who can assist on
>environmental and conservation projects throughout the state. The basic
>training entails 27 hours of classroom instruction and 24 hours of field
>experience. Wetland and aquatic ecology instruction constitute 25% of the
>training (prairie, forest, and urban ecology comprise the rest). By
>providing this training, we have approximately 230 trained individuals in
>the Dallas-Fort Worth area who have volunteered many thousands of hours
>providing education to youth, worked on various habitat restoration
>projects, gotten involved in various planning endeavors to provide
>environmental stewardship viewpoints, etc.
>
>As a private citizen:
>
>* I provide nature hikes which include aquatic ecology aspects at local
>parks in Weatherford, TX where I live.
>
>* I consult with the Weatherford, TX Parks and Recreation Department on all
>environmental issues affecting public property in the city. This includes 2
>city owned lakes and a creek which runs through town, the aptly named Town
>Creek.
>
>* I take every opportunity presented to me while I am out and about,
>fishing, hiking, or doing whatever, to talk with people about the value and
>importance of our environment and all of its flora and fauna. Whether it is
>convincing the guy down stream not to kill the harmless water snakes just
>because he thinks its a cottonmouth or explaining to my neighbor why I won't
>water my yard all summer in order to maintain a lawn of non-native grasses,
>I strive to pass along reasonable, well thought out and legitimate
>information at all times.
>
>* I have instilled a knowledge of, and a concern for, the natural world in
>my children and feel confident that they will pass it on to theirs when the
>time comes (hopefully 20 years or so from now...Grandpa Rob does not sound
>appealing!)
>
>Admittedly, what I have done, what I am doing, and what I will do are
>nothing more than a drop in the bucket but to borrow from the immortal words
>of Arlo Guthrie (with apologies), "You know, if one pers-- just one person
>does it, they may think he's really sick and they won't LISTEN TO him. And
>if two people...two people do it -- in harmony -- they may think they're
>both XXXXXXX and they won't LISTEN TO either of 'em. And if three people do
>it...three... can ya imagine three people walkin' in and TEACHIN' ABOUT THE
>NATURAL WORLD and walkin' out? They may think it's an organization! And can
>you...can you imagine fifty people a day...I said fifty people a day,
>walkin' in TEACHIN' ABOUT THE NATURAL WORLD and walkin' out? Then, friends,
>they may think it's a movement. "
>
>Here's to the start of a NANFA education movement! Cheers!
>
>Rob Denkhaus
>Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge
> "El muerto a la sepultura, el vivo a la travesura"
> "The dead to burial, the living to mischief"
>
>
>
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/----------------------------------------------------------------------------- /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes / Association" / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org