BRTU E-News
Because there's more to fishin' than just fishin'!
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#268: Nov. 7, 2022
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Teller Refuge Education Program at Nov. 17 BRTU Meeting. Don't Miss It! |
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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 November 17 BRTU meeting at the Hamilton Elks Lodge. Join us for our second general meeting since February 2020.
Nicole Ballard, Teller Wildlife Refuge Education Program Director, will give a presentation about Nurturing Nature in the Bitterroot Valley through conservation education. In the last year, Nicole has grown the conservation education program at Teller by almost 300%. Join Nicole to learn about Teller's program and the importance of conservation education in our community.
The photos really tell the entire story about Nicole's education program at the Teller Wildlife Refuge. The refuge is one of BRTU's most enduring partners and we 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.
After Nicole's talk, there will be a special drawing for a copy of The View from Tawney's Rock, by Monte Dolack. This beautiful print depicts a spot on one of the Refuge streams near where Nicole teaches many classes. The prints are no longer commercially available so this is a rare chance to add one to your collection of fine conservation art. We will also be drawing for some Teller Refuge caps 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 beer and a chance to meet Nicole and catch up with old friends.
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 upcoming 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 is Live Until November 14 - 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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In July, 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.
Starting today - November 7, we have the opportunity to 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. We need your help to make this happen!
We can turn $10,000 into $20,000 if you help us help the trout! The Embrace A Stream Challenge is a week-long competition among TU chapters nationwide, all of whom were awarded an Embrace a Stream grant in 2022.Thanks to TU supporters and corporate sponsors from across the country, your donation will be doubled with matching grants of up to $500 and can unlock other cash prizes to support our project.
What if we can double that amount with an additional $10,000? Well, it would help us to purchase the plants, fencing material and pay for excavator time.
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. Given that anglers across the country are drawn to the Bitterroot River, we expect this fundraiser to draw donations from far and wide. There is already a $1000.00 donation waiting to be matched.
Interested in volunteering next fall to help us plant the willows and trees and build the fences? Stay tuned for a sign up page on the BRTU website with more information!
This is the link for our fundraising page, but remember the Challenge starts today and is only active until November 14th. 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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Kootenai Creek Native. Courtesy: Gabe Wium. |
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This issue's Picture of the Week of a nice little native cutthroat, taken earlier this fall, was submitted by Gabe Wium from Missoula.
Gabe sent the following message along with his photo:
"My name is Gabe. I’m 14 and I live In Missoula. I was fishing up Kootenai Creek. I was fishing a hopper dropper rig in a deep pool when I saw this fish next to a big rock. I made a drift by the fish and it ate my nymph."
Thanks to Gabe for sharing his photo and story.
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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This week's BRTU Puzzler comes from that venerable journal of aquatic science, CNN.
The puzzle is to identify this denizen of the deep by its common name and binomial nomenclature, and to describe why this particular specimen was sufficiently newsworthy to make CNN. Extra credit will be given for the correct fly used to catch it.
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?
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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