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Hope in the heart of the city
It was humid and drizzly—the warmest day of the year so far, but nothing could contain the excitement of these kids. “Are you excited to go fishing,” I asked a young boy named, Derrick. His smile was all the answer needed. More than 40 inner city kids met this past weekend at the Winans Meadow…
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Why is it important that we recover southwestern trout?
Jim looked at me in disbelief. “What?” I repeated my question, “Why is it important that we recover southwestern native trout?” “Let me tell you a story,” he said. Jim Brooks was the longtime lead of the Gila Trout recovery team. Gila trout are native to the tributaries of the Gila River in New Mexico…
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Thinking downstream
Casey working a hickory shad “Would you pick Larry Bird or Magic? Who is better Michael or LeBron? Would you take Russell Westbrook or Steph Curry?” For two hours, every few minutes, the questions came. Casey is 13, and a big kid. He hit a dinger in each of his last three baseball games. We…
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Helping the Wood River to breathe
The room is full for the banquet. I first came across the Narragansett chapter of Trout Unlimited seven or eight years ago, when a few frustrated members contacted me and complained that the chapter was assisting the state in stocking over native fish in violation of TU policy. After a time, the chapter stopped, but…
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The time for band-aids has passed
Someone recently said to me, “Trout Unlimited should get out of political issues such as climate change and focus instead on what it does best—fixing streams!” Here is a secret… everything we do at Trout Unlimited helps our rivers, streams and fisheries withstand the harmful effects of climate change. When we protect the highest quality…
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Nudging streams back to health
"You just want to nudge it. Too often restoration work is over-engineered. The key is to simply nudge the system in the right direction, and then allow for natural processes to occur.” Gary leaned back and looked upstream. A smile crept up. “I had two anglers who told me they caught 80-90 brook trout here…
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Ticking time bombs in Appalachia
Editor's note: TU President and CEO Chris Wood was invited to testify before Congress on innovative approaches and economic development opportunities of abandoned mine land reclamation. TU hopes to work with Congress to advance legislation to support this type of restoration work, both on coal and hardrock mines across the country. To learn more, visit…
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