BRTU E-News
Because there's more to fishin' than just fishin'!
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#270: Nov. 13, 2022
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Teller Refuge Education Program at Thursday BRTU Meeting. Don't Miss It or the Brats! |
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The View from Tawney's Rock. There will be a drawing for a rare copy at the Nov 17 meeting. Source: Monte Dolack Fine Art. |
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All photos courtesy Nicole Ballard. |
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The Teller Wildlife Refuge Education program will be featured at Thursday's BRTU meeting at the Hamilton Elks Lodge. And yes - there will be brats again.
Nicole Ballard, Teller Wildlife Refuge Education Program Director, will talk about Nurturing Nature in the Bitterroot Valley through conservation education. Under Nicole's tutelage, the education program at Teller has grown by almost 300%. Conservation education is critical to the future of our community, so come hear from the best in the business.
The photos really tell the entire story about Nicole's education program at the Teller Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge and BRTU have worked together for close to 40 years on education, restoration and conservation projects.
Nicole recently received the prestigious Emerging Conservationist Award from the Missoula Conservation Roundtable for emerging leadership in the field of natural resource management or environmental protection through individual action and effective partnerships.
At the meeting, tickets ($5.00 a pop) will be on sale for a special drawing for a copy of The View from Tawney's Rock, by Monte Dolack. This beautiful print of a Refuge stream is longer commercially available so this is a rare chance to get one. We will also be drawing for some Teller Refuge caps as well as some BRTU items - and all the proceeds will go to Nicole's education programs.
Nicole's presentation will start at 7:00 PM, but come down early for a chance to meet Nicole and catch up with old friends. Plus, we will again be featuring a celebrated Elks brats and a beer for $10.00. It was a lot of fun last month.
And remember that the public is invited to attend all BRTU events and there is no charge for admission.
Here is the list of the future BRTU programs so that you can mark them down on your calendar.
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Thursday, January 19, 2023 - Casey Hackathorn, Trout Unlimited Upper Clark Fork Program Manager. Restoring Native Trout to the Upper Clark Fork.
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Thursday, February 16, 2023 - Birch Fett. Secure River Golden Dorado.
- March 2023 - pending.
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Thursday April 20, 2023. Jason Lindstrom, MFWP. Bitterroot River Report.
Be sure to mark these dates on your calendar now! The public is invited to attend all BRTU events and there is no charge for admission.
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Embrace A Stream Challenge Ends Tomorrow - please support our project on Lee Metcalf! |
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Removal of this antiquated standpipe is part of the project. Source: Christine Brissette. |
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Replacement of this reed canary grass along North Burnt Fork Creek is another part of the project. With the Bitterroot's as backdrop, the students learn to keep their backcasts high. Source: Christine Brissette. |
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Last summer, BRTU's grant application ranked #1 in TU National's Embrace A Stream grant program and we were awarded nearly $10,000. Our project will put 450 trees and thousands of willows along North Burnt Fork Creek in fall 2023. It also builds on a major project that will remove an instream fish barrier on the refuge, and reconnect 2.5 miles of spawning habitat. This cool video, featuring TU's Christine Brissette, explains why this project is so important.
Until tomorrow, we can double the size of the EAS grant that BRTU was awarded for the revegetation project on North Burnt Fork Creek as it flows through Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge. Thanks to 17 donors we have raised $4160 and met a $1000 match. But we need you to help us help the trout!
If we meet the challenge and double the amount, we can purchase plants, fencing material and pay for excavator time. If 30% of our newsletter readers contributed $50, we'd make over $7000 and meet the challenge. Please consider doing that right away!
Sponsored by Trout Unlimited and leveraging a network of more than 400 local chapters and councils, the Embrace a Stream Challenge motivates all TU members and supporters, nationwide, to “Give Where You Fish” and ensure our cold water resources get the help they need now more than ever.
This is the link for our fundraising page, but remember the Challenge ends tomorrow. The trout will be the big beneficiaries for your support of this incredible program to restore fish migration in North Burnt Fork Creek.
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Guanaja sunset. Courtesy: Gavin Marston. |
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This issue's Picture of the Week is obviously not a scene from the Bitterroot this week!
Gavin Marston, our former BRTU High School board member, sent this gorgeous photo from his recent trip t a college student participant in "Fish for Change." Fish for Change is a program whose mission is "... to use fly-fishing as a platform to make the world a better place by uniting a diverse group of students in wild fisheries where they engage in a variety of initiatives that promote Connection, Education, Conservation, and Exploration."
After learning about the program from relatives, Gavin applied for and was accepted. A few short months later, he packed his gear and flew down to the Caribbean where he ended up on the island of Guanaja, a bay island of Honduras.
While there, he and the other participants fished for a variety of fish and did community and conservation projects that typify Fish for Change. All the projects were done alongside local residents. He told me that the fishing was super fun and very different from Montana, but that he didnt get any photos. Gavin also sent this essay of his experiences which closes with
" Overall, the trip was the most enlightening experience I have partaken in. It has helped me realize that fishing is my passion and that I want to stay on the path I have set in my life. My biggest takeaway from the trip is that flyfishermen should educate themselves and help the environment. I think that the experience has helped me grow and mature as a person by learning about other communities and people. It has made me realize how fly fishing brings people together and joins us as a fishing community."
Please send me any fishing or conservation related photos to be considered for the "Picture of the Week." Make sure that the files are less than 5 mB in size. Note that in most cases I plan to not to use "grip and grin" photos, but rather pictures of fish in the water or net.
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Last week's BRTU Puzzler came from that venerable journal of aquatic science, CNN.
Well! It must have been too easy because I received several correct answers in the first 24 hours. Cory Hoffman was the first. Thanks to all of the other entrants, too. Keep trying.
Cory correctly identified this aquatic behemoth as Mola alexandria, commonly referred to as a Giant Sunfish. Cory also noted that "this one made the news recently because it set a world record for the heaviest bony fish discovered." In fact, the article from CNN reported that the fish, which was found floating dead in the Azores, weighed about 3 tons.
The BRTU Puzzler now has a new sponsor - Chapter One Book Store in Hamilton. Chapter One is offering a $10 gift card to each winner but it must be picked up in person. The book store is a long time BRTU supporter and has an unbelievable inventory of books and magazines. If Chapter One doesn't have the tome you want, they can get it in a jiffy. Shouldn't we be patronizing local small independents rather the big online services?
Cory can claim his gift card by stopping in at the book store.
If you have a cool fishing, outdoor activity, or conservation related photo, consider submitting it to BRTU Puzzlemaster Marshall Bloom for the BRTU Puzzler. BRTU E-News will no longer publish grip and grin photos of native fish out of water but will highlight photos of actual fish in the water.
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Monte Dolack BRTU prints
now available at Joe's Studio.
A small number of Publisher's Proofs of the limited edition "Bitterroot River-Lost Horse Bend" by Monte Dolack are now available at Joe's Studio. BRTU commissioned Monte Dolack in 2007 to create this iconic print of the Bitterroot River.
The remaining Publisher's Proofs are $375 and all proceeds support BRTU efforts to protect trout and streams.
Joe's Studio, a regular sponsor of our banquets, is located in Hamilton at 220 Marcus Street (961-4586, joesstudio@aol.com)
The "U" in BRTU
Unlike many groups, BTRU has no paid staff. We are an entirely volunteer organization. We are always looking for new members to get involved in projects or to join our board and assist with maintaining our focus on native fish, clean healthy streams and education. If you would like to help out, please contact BRTU Chapter President Dave Ward. We could sure use your help!
In other words, how about putting a little "U" in BRTU?
If "U" are not already a member, "U" can join TU today by going to the the BRTU website. chapter number is #080. If you have a question about your membership, please call the Montana TU office at 406-543-0054.
The BRTU Mission statement is "To conserve, protect, and restore the Bitterroot River and it's watershed," directly in line with the Montana TU mission statement.
For your information, here is a tabulation of our current hard-working BRTU officers and board members.
BOARD OFFICERS
Donna Haglund; Vice President; E-mail: haglunddonna@gmail.com
Vacant, Treasurer;
BOARD MEMBERS
Charlie Harris; E-mail: hmgharris@gmail.com
JuliAnne Thomas; E-mail: thomasjulianneh@gmail.com
Vacant; (student board member)
GENERAL FACTOTUM AND NEWSLETTER PUBLISHER
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