Fisheries Management Section

NEW Continuing Education Course – Hands-on Methods for Teaching Aquatic Stewardship and Responsible Angling Skills

By Fred on August 3rd, 2011

Hands-on Methods for Teaching Aquatic Stewardship and Responsible Angling Skills

Presented at the 141^st Annual AFS Meeting in Seattle, Sunday, September 4, 8:00am-12pm

Instructors: Tom Lang, Kansas; Justin Wiggins, Connecticut; Breidi Scott, Missouri; Larry Pape, Nebraska; and Shahab Farzanegan, Oregon

Overview: Sport fishing events (fishing derbies, rodeos, clinics, etc.) are one of fisheries agencies’ premier means of connecting and engaging with the public. Throughout the country these events annually engage hundreds of thousands of youth, women, novice anglers, advanced anglers, families, and urbanites. These events help teach the skills needed to participate in fishing, foster a love for fishing and the outdoors, and ultimately strive to guide the public to an understanding of the roles and importance of fish, fisheries, biologists, and fish and wildlife agencies. These events are a staple of many fisheries divisions and are often times conducted by the on-the-ground fish biologist. However, in most cases the educational background of fisheries professionals does not include the training needed to conduct these sorts of outreach events. By pulling from the collective knowledge of experienced aquatic educators and fisheries professionals, this course strives to provide fisheries scientists with the foundation to conduct fisheries outreach events. To register for this course visit: http://afs2011.org/continuing-education/.

Course Outline:

1. Introduction – 15 minutes
    
2. Understanding the Sport Fishing Event Tool – 45 minutes
   1. Types of events and what each has to offer
      • Fishing Derbies
      • Fishing Clinics
      • Family Fishing Events
      • School Field Trips
      • Advanced Angler Events
      • Cooking and Cleaning Demonstrations
   2. Understanding your audience and tailoring your event
       
3. Event Preparation – 1 hour
   1. Choosing a location and logistical considerations
   2. Promoting your event to optimize participation
   3. Acquiring, organizing, and maintaining volunteers and other partners
   4. What supplies do I need?
       
      Group Break – 15 minutes
       
4. Where the Bobber Meets the Water – 1 hour 15 minutes 
   1. Event outline
   2. Registration and data collection
   3. Tips for teaching the fishing basics of knot tying, rigging, casting, and retrieval
   4. Fish cleaning and cooking demonstration considerations
   5. School field trips, science, and connecting to fishing
   6. Don’t forget the FUN!
       
5. Available Resources and Wrap Up – 30 minutes
   1. What does AFS and AREA offer you?   
   2. What other national organizations are out there to help?   
   3. What are sources for acquiring program equipment?
   4. Open discussion