Students add new skills for outdoors

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In this line of work, I get plenty of opportunities to talk with students about a variety of things. Most often, those classroom visits serve to educate kids about the newspaper business, the writing process, and any number of other topics that may fly from those fertile minds.

Like: “Did you really meet Bode Miller?” And “How much money do you make?”

On Thursday, I got the chance to tag along on someone else’s classroom visit, and (luckily, some might say) I didn’t say a word about writing or this paper.

The Penobscot Fly Fishers were in charge of our segment of a Community of Caring event held at State Street School in Brewer.

Our task: Teach a fourth-grade class and a fifth-grade class about bugs, fly-fishing gear, and nature, as well as how to tie flies and cast.

Particularly enjoyable for me was the fact that I got to spend the afternoon in a place that brought back some fond memories: Back in 1975 and ’76, I spent countless hours in that same classroom as a fifth-grader learning under John Gilbert – perhaps the finest (and funniest) teacher I ever had.

I joined Don Corey, Marcus Hale, and Hank Metcalf to work in the fly-tying instruction portion of the program. Outside, Davey Ferris talked about history, equipment, and bugs, and taught his young pupils how to perform a loon call using only their hands and mouths.

Nearby, John Lent, Mary Lent, and Bob Rourke taught casting and in 20 minutes had most pupils performing like champs.

The Penobscot Fly Fishers do a lot of projects like this and regularly introduce youngsters to the sport they love.

On Thursday, another crop of pupils left school grinning, having tied what for most was their first fly.

And the PFF folks and me?

Well, rest assured we were grinning, too.

Young campers wanted

Two years ago, a group of concerned outdoors enthusiasts teamed up in an attempt to save the Maine Conservation School at Greenland Point, which is located on Long Lake in Princeton.

At that point, the effort seemed like a monumental one, and would likely carry a price tag that reflected that.

Undeterred by that, the group – The Greenland Point Coalition – kept on plugging and ended up buying the 32-acre parcel where a generation of Maine kids had learned about the outdoors.

And this summer, the Greenland Point Center Conservation Camp – no longer a Maine Conservation School – will open for business as a new, independent entity.

Don’t expect to see too many changes, however: Many of the traditional focuses of conservation camp thankfully remain.

Now, it’s your turn to support those who have worked so hard to keep a tradition alive: The folks at Greenland Point are looking for campers.

Weekly sessions of the conservation camp for campers 10-14 will begin June 18. Activities include canoeing and water safety, swimming, fly casting, rifle instruction, safe gun handling, animal and fish identification, sailing, archery, wildlife management, woods survival, tracking wildlife, trapping, tree identification, and forest and water conservation.

In addition, a Wet n’ Wild Camp for kids ages 8-12 will run for three weekly sessions beginning July 31.

Activities at those sessions will include sailing, canoeing, map and compass reading, fishing, papermaking, sand sculptures, canoe hockey, and water safety.

Limited camper scholarships are available. If you know a child who may be interested in attending a camp session, would be willing to sponsor a child to attend, or are willing to volunteer in any way, call Jon Speed at 796-5186 or e-mail him at greenlandpoint@midmaine.com.

Grouse society recruiting

If you’re a bird hunter, chances are you’ve heard of the Ruffed Grouse Society. Since 1961, the conservation organization has promoted conditions suitable for ruffed grouse, woodcock, and related wildlife.

Now the RGS is looking for a few good women … and kids. And they’re willing to make it very easy for you to join them.

According to a news release that crossed my desk this week, the RGS is preparing to launch a new program in June that will open its doors to every woman and youth under age 16 who fulfills a couple of criteria.

Here’s the deal: If you take and pass a hunter education class, or if you participate in a “Becoming an Outdoorswoman” program, the RGS will give you a one-year membership and a free dinner at a society banquet.

The only catches: The membership doesn’t include the society’s magazine subscription, and if you attend a dinner, you’ll have to bring a paying adult with you.

The reason for the program is simple, RGS Executive Director and CEO Mike Zagata said in the release.

“There is no doubt in my mind that unless we get young people and women interested in hunting and conservation, the future of our sport hunting and outdoor heritage could be lost forever,” Zagata said.

“It is important that we educate everyone on the importance of sound wildlife and forest management practices and the role hunting has played, and continues to play, in those practices,” Zagata said. “If we, as individuals, can’t keep in touch with our hunting and outdoor heritage, how then can we expect to pass them along to future generations? The key to that future is women and our youth, and that is the basis of our program.”

If that sounds like an ideal worth supporting, you can find out more about the program at www.ruffedgrousesociety.org.

Shop ’til you drop

There’s nothing Mainers like better than a bargain, and outdoors-oriented folks are no exception to this rule.

That being the case, if the recent string of gray days continues through the weekend, you may want to head to Waterville to seek out some treasures.

The L.L. Bean warehouse in Waterville is holding a four-day sale that began on Thursday and runs through Sunday.

And according to the press release, the bargains you find may be substantial. Men’s and women’s pants may cost you $5.95, and shirts will go for $7.95. In addition, outerwear will be 30 percent off, and sporting apparel and equipment will be 30-50 percent off.

The warehouse sale is at the JFK mall. From the north, just hop off at Exit 127, turn left and drive 1.3 miles.

Happy shopping!

Coming up …

On Monday I’ll be meeting with Jeff Reardon, Trout Unlimited’s New England conservation director, to talk about one of his favorite topics: brookies.

More accurately, we’ll talk about the report that TU produced for the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture, “Eastern Brook Trout, Status and Threats.”

According to the report, Maine is the last true stronghold for brook trout in the eastern U.S.

I’ll ask Reardon how good things are … and how tenuous the situation could become if we don’t remain vigilant in conservation efforts to protect those native fish.

The Reardon interview will also be featured in the weekly “Going Outdoors” TV piece on ABC-7 and FOX-22 newscasts.

That segment will air on Monday, and later in the week I’ll give you a more in-depth report on the topic in these pages.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.