Goin' Fishin'

The weather cooperated for a short afternoon fishing trip to a local pond. As part of this month's enrichment programs at Galax Middle School, BRDC guides instructed the kids on fly fishing. They began the course with aquatic insects and their life cycles, and progressed to parts of the rod, reel, and fly line, knots and finally casting. 

Friday afternoon, the kids climbed on the bus and headed out to catch a fish on the fly. After a quick snack, we hiked to a local pond that holds some bluegill and bass. Once at the property, we put the rods together, attached our reels, and strung them up with the fly line and leader. After several practice casts to regain our rhythm from the Tuesday lesson, we attached poppers, woolly buggers, and mop flies (the most successful fly). Spreading out to avoid hooking one another, we commenced to fishing!

Everyone saw fish and several had opportunities at catches with three fish landed for the day. We had a great time and are very appreciative of the good weather and the generosity of the private landowner that allowed us the privilege of GOIN' FISHIN'

Learning about Amphibians & Aquatic Insects

BRDC has been busy with education programs, working with Galax Middle School, Fries School, Fairview Elementary, Grayson Highlands, Independence Elementary.

Grayson County's fourth grade students participated in the Natural Heritage Program with an emphasis on salamanders, toads, and frogs. Students learned about salamanders commonly found in the Blue Ridge.  Using field guides, they researched different species of salamander and presented their discoveries to the class.  The Eastern hellbender was a favorite among the students, as they were shocked by its prehistoric features. Students enjoyed watching a video about the life history of hellbenders provided by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries.

Fifth grade students in Grayson County schools learned about frogs and toads. Students illustrated the life cycle of amphibians, learned the difference between frogs and toads, and listened to the calls of some of Virginia's common species. Many students had heard the calls before, but often didn't know what animal made the calls. The Virginia Herpetological Society's website is a great resource for determining different frog and toad calls: https://goo.gl/v84gqS.

After learning the calls of the American bullfrog, spring peeper, and American toad, students played a Frog and Toad matching game. Using a Peterson Guidebook to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, students matched the species name, picture, and description together. 

Galax Middle School After School program has been learning all about aquatic species. BRDC brought aquatic insects from a local stream to the classroom where students got a first-hand look at the life found in our creeks. Students learned about the life cycle of the insects, and enjoyed fly tying with Executive Director Aaron Floyd. 

In-school programming keeps BRDC's staff busy, but it is great to work with such a variety grade levels and see the enjoyment and wonder on the children's faces. To stay connected with BRDC follow us on Instagram @blueridgediscoverycenter.

Fly Fishing in School?

National Fishing in Schools Program is a nationwide, in school program that teaches a positive, lifetime activity to students.

BRDC brought this national program to Grayson County High School boys ninth and tenth grade PE classes in December. Parts of the fly rod, fly reel and fly line; knots used to build leader; aquatic insects: mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies; fish species, fly casting and fly tying were part of the curriculum for the week.

In addition to basic casting skills and an understanding of aquatic habitat, the students learned stewardship through catching and releasing real "fake" fish. Each day, new skills and information were added in a hands-on fashion to reinforce the lesson. On the final day, all the classes used their knot tying skills to build their own leader. Attached to the tippet end of that leader was a Woolly Bugger, a fly that imitates many aquatic species, that they created. By the end of the week, students had achieved a skill level that allows them to go out to a stream and have confidence in catching a fish using a fly rod.

Galax Elementary Enrichment: Fly Fishing

During the week of February 9th, BRDC participated in the Galax Elementary Enrichment Week. This was a fantastic offering by the Galax Public School System where students got to take in-depth courses on particular subjects. One of the programs we offered was all about fly fishing. 32 enthusiastic second and fourth graders signed up for our five day, 15-hour fly fishing course.

We began the program by introducing them to the concept of journalling and diagramming while handing out their personal journals for the week. They split into groups to research the Blue Ridge Mountains and the essence of fly fishing in a Self Organized Learning Environment (S.O.L.E). After they finished their collaborative poster boards they presented their findings to the rest of the class. The students proved to be very resourceful in their research but shy in their presentations. Although some of the students knew each other, most had never met being that they were from different grades. By the end of the day a sense of camaraderie had developed with the students and new friendships were forming.

The second day of the course was dedicated to teaching them all about the equipment and techniques of fly fishing in preparation for a field trip to the creek the next day. The students braved the cold February wind as we taught them a basic fly cast through the National Fishing in the Schools method. They learned how to put their rods together, string them up, and execute the "11 steps to a basic fly cast".  At the end of the day, we finished in a circle, telling rounds of completely honest fish stories!

Wednesday was the only day of the week forecasted for sunshine, so we dedicated that day to the outdoors and went fishing! We were blessed with a wind-free, sunny and 50 degree day in early February! The kids had come prepared for arctic weather but where shedding layers as soon as they stepped off the bus at Dannely Park. They spent the day swapping waders and casting flies into Chestnut Creek with a Tenkara fly rod. The ones who weren't fly fishing were picking through aquatic insects and identifying them under the microscope. Although no fish were caught (we used hookless flies) Volunteer, Lisa Benish was able to spot two sizable rainbow trout in the cold clear water. Of all of the great activities we did this week the one that I reflect on most fondly was watching the kids cast on the creek. Kids this age are a ball of energy and their focus is often measured in seconds, but when they put the waders on, stepped into the creek and began casting, their attention became singular and they each cast for twenty minutes straight without saying much other than "this is awesome".

On the fourth day the subject was bugs. To start the day the young fly fishermen got some energy out in the gym during an "aquatic macro-invertebrate relay" as part of the NFSP curriculum. They learned about the three most important types of trout food: Mayflies, Stoneflies and Caddisflies. The rest of the class was dedicated to patiently tying imitative flies with equipment generously loaned from Ernie Barker of Trout Unlimited. We set up vises and hooks for each student and they used feathers, chenille and thread to tie a "Wolly Bugger" and a "Griffith's Gnat".  This was a major challenge for this age group, but they stepped up and each student completed their flies for take home at the end of the course.

Our final day together was dedicated to competition! We took over the gymnasium and put the fly rods together. In pairs, the students learned to cast with "rod" hand and "line" hand. As their skills increased they casted for "Real Fake Fish" while learning about different sport fish species. We concluded with a casting competition where the students competed in pairs to hit the bull's eye target on ten sequential casts. At the end of the day the kids went home with their journals, chock-full of of the things they learned during the week.

I am amazed at how much these kids soaked up in five days and I hope that it made an impression on them for a lifetime.

Many thanks to Lisa Benish for her dedicated efforts for the program. Her enthusiasm for the sport of fly fishing is surpassed by none! Thanks to Ernie Barker! His loan of the fly tying equipment took the program to another level. Also many thanks to "Mr. Rob" and Mrs. Webb for their tireless efforts to make sure each kid got the most out of the program. A special thanks to Mike Floyd and Roald Kirby for assisting at the creek.

Galax Middle School, Fall Enrichment Program

As Executive Director of BRDC, I would like to thank the Galax City School System, Bill Sturgill and Rebecca Cardwell.  Also both principals, Kristina Legg and Justin Iroler were instrumental in their guidance.  Aaron Horton rolled up his sleeves for some serious grunt work.  Below are the accounts from both program directors.

Scott Jackson-Ricketts

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The National Fishing in the Schools program took on the task of teaching approximately 30 students the basics of fly fishing in a week. With 1 ½ hours/class, and two classes on each of five days we exposed these energetic kids to a hobby that has great potential for life long enrichment. 

During this crash course the students learned to tie special knots required to setup the fly line and attach the fly. They became thoroughly acquainted with all of the equipment of fly fishing including fly reels, rods, lines, leaders and flies. They kept a running journal to document what they learned and illustrated observations to reinforce the concepts of fly fishing. They participated in competitive relays to release some of the seemingly endless youth energy and studied the three most important aquatic macroinvertebrates: mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flies. They cast at bulls-eye targets to better understand the association between fish species and the different types of flies, while honing their casting skills. They learned the basics of fly casting that can be put to use on any open water. They learned about the culture of fly fishing by watching modern short films and reading famous writers like Norman Maclean. They also discussed conservation ethics including “Leave No Trace” and proper ways to handle a fish.  In the finale, they learned about fish species and tested their new skills with a competition casting for “real fake fish” at 20’, 25’ and 30’. All of the students received a hand tied fly pin for their enthusiasm during the course. 

A gracious thanks to Lisa Benish for her dedicated efforts in teaching the National Fishing in the Schools Program; Katie Cole, founder of the NFSP and Chris Dunnavant, Angling Education Coordinator at VADGIF for providing the equipment and lesson plans.

Aaron Floyd, President of BRDC and FIS program director

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Hands in the Dirt is a program developed by Blue Ridge Discovery Center to give kids exposure to plant, soil, wildlife and habitat education while providing an opportunity for them to improve their school grounds in some way. Approximately 30 Galax Middle School students recently participated by creating and installing a butterfly garden, inspired by a cooperative project in York County, “Schoolyard Habitats: Monarch Initiative” carried out by Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Master Naturalists, and Virginia Master Gardeners. 

For the first 2 days, students become acquainted with the importance of creating butterfly habitat. Program guides used a variety of tools, including worksheets, field guides, a YouTube video, and iPads to assist students with completing self-directed research, focusing on the significant decline of the Monarch butterfly. The kids then got to the heart of the project by examining a variety of soils and beginning excavation on their garden plot. Volunteer Kathy Cole, a master gardener, introduced participants to the types of plants appropriate for the butterfly garden and discussed issues such as spacing, sunlight and water. Students then had the opportunity to sketch out their own designs for the garden.

The kids worked hard for the remaining three days, removing sod, adding top soil, installing a rain barrel, and finally, planting. The project sparked lots of interest from school personnel and passers-by, so students created posters identifying the garden as a butterfly habitat and warning against the use of weed killers. Many of the students expressed interest in ongoing monitoring and maintenance of the garden, and all made a personal contribution to the project.

A special thank you to Barbara Dunbar and Jody Turner for inspiration and ideas; Carol Heiser, Education Director with the VDGIF for support; Cathy Dowling from Blevins Building Supply for the rain barrel hardware; Galax Farm Supply for mulch; Zach Olinger with Matthews State Forest for the rain barrel; Kathy Cole for plants and hard work; and to John Fant for providing top soil. Finally, this success of this program would not have been possible without on-site support from Brenda Bonk.

Sarah Osborne, BRDC board member and HITD program director

National Fishing in the Schools Program

Blue Ridge Discovery Center President and Guide, Aaron Floyd, has been tapped by the National Fishing in the Schools Program to train ten United States Fish and Wildlife Service employees how to teach the NFSP "Cast a Fly, Catch a Student" curriculum. Training will take place during the week of July 14th at the National Conservation Training Center in Sherpherdston, WV. Aaron will be stepping in for program founder Katie Cole who has spred this wonderful program throughout the country. This intensive training session will surely help Aaron learn the ropes as we work to implement this program in Southwest Virginia.