What began as a small event in 1986 has now blossomed into one of the largest events of its kind in the entire country, and as in past years, volunteers and staff are excitedly gearing up for the annual Catch a Rainbow Kids Fishing Derby. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, June 4th, 2011, and as in past years, the location will be at Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery.
Designed as a fun-filled way to get kids outdoors and connected to fishing, the derby is a great family event, and through generous community support, every participant is also treated to great prizes, food, fun and much, much more! If you would like to make a donation or volunteer to help with the derby please give us a call.
The event begins at 9 a.m. CST with the following schedule per age group with registration beginning at 8 a.m. CST. Ages 1 through 4 will fish at the Kiddie Pool area while all other age groups will fish at the hatchery creek.
Ages 1 – 4: 9 a.m. – 12 noon CST
Ages 5 – 6: 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. CST
Ages 7 – 8: 10:15 a.m. – 11:15 a.m. CST
Ages 9 – 10: 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CST
Ages 11 – 12: 12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. CST
Ages 13 – 15: 2 p.m. – 3 p.m. CST
Fishing assistance is available, and all participants need to bring their own tackle.
The derby is hosted by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery and the Friends of Wolf Creek NFH, Inc. For more information on the derby, including fishing times, please visit the event website: www.catcharainbow.org
Along with the derby, Wolf Creek NFH will also be hosting several additional education workshops and events in June!
For forty-one years Population Connection (formerly Zero
Population Growth) has been educating young people with its award-
winning Population Education program by informing students of the
connection between our human population, environmental
concerns, and social dilemmas. If you’re looking for ways to engage
those you teach in these subject areas, make plans to join Wolf
Creek NFH Environmental Education/Outreach Specialist Amanda
Patrick as she leads you through a day of engaging and fun activities
from the Population Connection curriculum! Materials are geared
towards 4th through 12th grade students, but those who work with
other age levels are also welcome. Participants will walk away with
plenty of new ideas and a variety of materials to take back to their
site to use as well. In addition to those curriculum materials
offered through Population Connection, participants will also receive
Facing the Future’s Climate Change curriculum! Designed as a two
week unit for middle and high school, the engaging, hands on set of
activities is perfect for those looking to learn more about climate
change and how to put it into place within the classroom setting. Also
works well for nonformal educators (e.g. park naturalists, extension
agents, etc) as well! To attend the one day training event, which is
scheduled for Friday, November 18th, 2011 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
CST, contact Environmental Education/Outreach Specialist Amanda
Patrick at 270-343-3797 or via email at Amanda_Patrick@fws.gov.
Pre-registration is required and is $30 per attendee. Fee includes the
following materials: all programming, materials, Teaching Population
CD curriculum, World Population DVD, Facing the Future Climate
Change CD curriculum, lunch and snacks.
On Friday, June 16th, 2011, the theme will be focused on wildlife of
all sorts as the hatchery will host an “All About WILD” Workshop,
which will include 3 different curriculums: Project WILD, Project
Flying WILD and the new Growing Up WILD. Project WILD, part
of the Council for Environmental Education (CEE) curriculum
offerings, is one of the most widely-used conservation and
environmental education programs among educators of students in
kindergarten through high school. It is based on the premise that
young people and educators have a vital interest in learning about our
natural world. Flying WILD, also a program of the Council for
Environmental Education, introduces students to bird conservation
through standards-based classroom activities and environmental
stewardship projects. Growing Up WILD is an early childhood
education program that builds on children’s sense of wonder about
nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them.
Through a wide range of activities and experiences, Growing Up
WILD provides an early foundation for developing positive
impressions about the natural world and lifelong social and academic
skills. The workshop, which is scheduled for 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. CST,
will offer all programming, materials, 3 curriculum books, lunch and
snacks for $40 per person. Pre-registration is required and may be
completed by contacting Environmental Education/Outreach
Specialist Amanda Patrick at 270-343-3797 or via email at
Amanda_Patrick@fws.gov.
As a part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s commitment to better connect people of all ages, especially children, with nature, Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery desires to get kids outside to play, which helps to incorporate both nature and physical activity. As an outlet for helping to meet this goal, the hatchery will once again partner with the Russell County Community Health Coalition and the W.O.W. (Working on Wellness) Initiative to bring The Longest Day of Play event to Russell County. The event will take place Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 at the hatchery and will feature various activities that get children outdoors while also getting them up and moving. Topping over 100 participants in 2010, the agencies and organizations partnering to make the endeavor possible hope to see even more participation and fun in 2011. So make plans to be a part of this great family oriented summer event! Come join us! Registration will begin at 9 a.m., and there is no cost for the event.
Are you a birder? Seeking birding related activities to do with those
you teach and/or lead? If so, here is a workshop suited just for you!
Mark your calendar for Friday, Friday, June 24th, 2011 as the
hatchery will offer a Flying WILD Facilitator Course from 10 a.m.
until 3:30 p.m. CST. Flying WILD, a program of the Council for
Environmental Education, introduces students to bird conservation
through standards-based classroom activities and environmental
stewardship projects. Flying WILD also encourages schools
to work closely with conservation organizations, community groups,
and businesses involved with birds to implement school bird festivals
and bird conservation projects. So if you’re an educator, 4-H leader,
Boy or Girl Scout troop volunteer, park ranger and/or naturalist, etc,
or just a birding enthusiast, and you’re seeking fun, engaging activities
that are hands on, then this is the workshop for you! Learn how
Flying WILD brings students, teachers and the overall community
together to advance bird conservation! As with other workshops,
pre-registration is required and can be done so by contacting the
hatchery at 270-343-3797 or via email: Amanda_Patrick@fws.gov.
Cost per participant is $20 and includes all programming and
materials, curriculum guide, facilitator handbook, all programming and
lunch and snacks.
Do you love the outdoors, work with kiddos ages 3 to 7 and wonder
how you might be able to combine environmental education into the
work you do at your day care, in your Head Start program, with your
preschoolers, etc? If so, here is the perfect class for you!
Designed especially for those professionals who work in the field of
early childhood education and/or early childhood care, this workshop
will equip you with two newly designed curriculums (Growing Up
WILD and Project Learning Tree’s Environmental Experiences for
Early Childhood) that are all about bringing nature themed games,
activities, snack ideas and more into the hands of those children you
work with. Both Growing Up WILD and PLT’s Environmental
Experiences for Early Childhood build upon children’s sense of
wonder about nature and invite them to explore wildlife and the world
around them. Through a wide range of activities and experiences,
these two guides provide an early foundation for developing positive
impressions about the natural world and lifelong social and academic
skills. To be a part of the workshop, which is scheduled for
Thursday, June 30th, 2011 from 9:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. CST, contact
Environmental Education/Outreach Specialist Amanda
Patrick at 270-343-3797 or via email at Amanda_Patrick@fws.gov.
Pre-registration is required and is $40 per participant, which includes
the following: all programming and materials, 2 curricula, lunch and
snacks.
Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery is proud to sponsor educational
workshops and events that help the public learn more about our
incredible natural and cultural heritage. For information on these or
other programs at the hatchery, including how to register and/or how
you can be involved as a volunteer, please contact Amanda Patrick,
Environmental Education/Outreach Specialist, at 270-343-3797 or
via email: Amanda_Patrick@fws.gov
