I had the great privilege of participating as a TU volunteer in the Trout Unlimited/Girl Scout Stream Girl Program.


http://www.tu.org/blog-posts/stream-...-in-the-stream


http://www.wisconsintu.org/LinkClick...bid=58&mid=381


Heidi Oberstadt is a passionate TU member and fly fisher who felt the need to get young girls involved early with an understanding of clean waters and stream ecology. She developed the Girl Scout?s Stream Girls Program with Trout Unlimited and the Girls Scouts of America.


Stream Girls is a 2 day event. On the first day, we set up several teaching stations along the river to teach the Girls Scouts about the what scientists call the Riparian Corridor; but what the Girl Scouts know as the trees, plants, rocks, stream (pools, riffles, and flats), animals, insects, fish, and aquatic life. After each station the girls wrote down what they had learned in their Stream Girls note book. Then we had lunch and the afternoon was filled with learn to tie flies and learn to fly cast.


Day 2 was when the Brownies joined the Girl Scouts for a stream walk. The Girls Scouts then taught their little sister Brownies about the stream at the same stream stations. After the stream walk, we finished the day with the Brownies spin fishing and the Girl Scouts fly fishing.


This program is being rolled out nationally by TU and the Girl Scouts of America. As a first time volunteer for Stream Girls, I have to say it is beyond wonderful. If you have an opportunity to volunteer, jump at the chance.


Here is short piece about Stream Girls by a local TV station:


http://www.wsaw.com/home/headlines/G...308725601.html


Here are some photos I took of this year?s program:


Heidi tells the girl scouts about Riffles, Pools and Flats -







After gathering aquatic insects, the girl scouts use charts to identify the insects they found -







The girl scouts filling in their note books -







Learning to Tie Flies -










Graduation high fives after completing the Stream Girls Program and getting their certificates and merit badges -