Trout Unlimited, Discovery Center partner for outdoor school

Washington Council of Trout Unlimited-Klickitat Alternate Engagement Group (WCTU-KAEG) partnered with the Discovery Center for the camp. Trout Unlimited grant money, including a national Embrace A Stream grant associated with the Klickitat Mile One project, provided $4,000 for the camp. TU volunteers led sessions on casting skills and leathercraft projects.

The TU acronym STREAM represents conservation components science, technology, recreation, engineering, art and math. At camp, students participated in field surveys, stream studies, animal adaptation identification, ethnobotany presentations and other scientific sessions.

Campers also made a keychain, bookmark, and other leather projects depicting the nine elements of a healthy stream for fish, which include sky, water, riffles, short plants, insects, wood, wildlife, rocks and trees.

One of the main goals of Trout Unlimited is to protect and enhance habitat for cold water fisheries including salmon, steelhead, and trout. Conservation continues to be a Trout Unlimited priority in Klickitat County.

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Laurie Wilhite is co-chair of WCTU-KAEG. Other volunteers at the May Outdoor School were Gary Gidley (KAEG Co-chair), Molly Fahlenkamp, Bill Spalding, Edith and Kent Hitchings, Don Wilhite and Bruce Merighi.