Coldwater Conservation School for kids ages 11-14

[Bucksnbows]

 

This will be our 5th year of this excellent program held annually at the NJ School for Conservation in Stokes State Forest on the Flat Brook River.  I will be one of the instructors for the kids, ages 11-14 (boys and girls) for the 4 day camp.  Details below, so if you know anyone that might be interested, please share this with them, thanks:

 

 

The NJ School of Conservation in Sussex County will be the host site for an exciting Coldwater Conservation School being offered this year by the NJ DEP Division of Fish and Wildlife and the NJ State Council of Trout Unlimited and its supporting chapters. The School will be held from June 26 – 29 and is open to youth who will be between the ages of 11 and 14 at the time of the program.

 

The goal of the School is to foster a knowledge and appreciation of trout and the coldwater habitats on which they depend. The cost of the Coldwater Conservation School is only $275.00, which includes food, lodging and equipment for the entire 4 days and 3 nights. Space is limited and the application process is competitive.

 

Students will study aquatic insects, pond ecology, stream ecology, fish biology, stream habitat and ways we can enhance them, fly tying, fly casting and more.

 

Applications are due no later than April 1, 2014. Students accepted into the School will be notified by the end of April.

 

If you are interested in attending or know a student who is, please share this with them. Every year, we have students from all over the state (and even a few from out of state) join us in learning about coldwater habitats.

 

Information about the Coldwater Conservation School including a brochure and the official application can be found at: http://www.njfishandwildlife.com/conservation_school.htm.

 

Information about Trout Unlimited can be found at: http://www.njtu.org/ and the NJ School of Conservation at http://csam.montclair.edu/njsoc/.

 

Questions about the School should be directed to Jessica Griglak at (908)-637-4125 or jessica.griglak@dep.state.nj.us.

[Rusty]

Looks like a great opportunity for the kids, I will tell my classes about it in case they have younger siblings.  

[Haskell_Hunter]

There's a pretty slick video that I used to get my daughter exited about it:

 

http://hwcdn.net/a5h8p3i4/cds/dep/school01.mp4

[Bucksnbows]

I saw my ugly mug in that video about 20 times  

 

The young lady in the purple Aero NY shirt that is interviewed twice is my daughter and she'll be a first year counselor this year after attending the past 4 years as a student.  I'm still looking for that sasquatch costume to scare the pants off these kids around the bonfire on the last night of camp if anyone knows a good costume rental place in northern NJ.....   

[Bucksnbows]

bump

[Bucksnbows]

Deadline has been extended:

 

http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/news/2014/ccsdeadline.htm

 

Seems every year we panic as the deadline approaches because of how few sign up so we extend it only to have to turn away several kids because we fill it up during the extension.  I think that says a lot about our society today, but this is a great camp.  Please pass it along if you know any kids ages 11-14 that might enjoy it!

[BowhunterNJ]

That sounds like a great program, something I would have enjoyed being enrolled in as a kid!

Anyone that has kids, this would be a great opportunity for them to learn a heck of a lot and maybe get them to catch the outdoors bug!

[Bucksnbows]

You do not have to live in NJ either.  We have gotten kids from other states that had some connection to NJ (parent or grandparent lived here, for example).  We weed through the kids we know are being "dumped off at camp" by their parents because we learned the hard way in our first year.  Now the kids' essays tell us a lot and we make the parents read the fine print and don't hesitate to send home kids that don't belong (only one in 4 years so far).  For the most part, we get great kids - boys and girls - who make life long friendships and who actually meet during the year to fish together even though they live all over the state.