Rocky Mountain Flycasters - Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteers

There are frequently opportunities to volunteer in various capacities to help meet our mission goals. In addition to the Eagle’s nest project, the Narrows cleanup, the Poudre River cleanup, and Youth Outreach, there are several other opportunities to contribute to the conservation, protection and restoration of local trout fisheries and watersheds. Be sure to check this page often.

Rocky Mountain Flycasters’ members are enthusiastic in their contributions to support our programs. In our fiscal year 2009-2011, we contributed nearly six thousand hours—equivalent to about $124,000 in work hours. It’s fun, it’s productive, and the work often provides an opportunity to fish.

• New Stream Restoration Projects Need Volunteers This Summer
  Rocky Mountain Flycasters-Trout Unlimited is partnering with Wildland Restoration Volunteers (WRV) to conduct a substantial stream improvement project on several miles of the North Fork of the Poudre. The project has been conceived, planned, and will be managed by the fisheries staff of the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest and Pawnee National Grasslands (A-RNF & PNG).
  This project (August 25-26, 2012) will involve the use of heavy equipment to cut, transport, and emplace beetle-killed conifer tree trunks along the stream banks. WRV will also provide volunteers from its members and skilled crew leaders. RMF-TU will provide additional volunteers to work alongside the WRV volunteers and under the supervision of WRV’s crew leaders.
  To become involved in this "rock-rolling" project, check the calendar, read the full article, and contact Conservation Chair Dave Piske.
• TrailGate
  This past year Rocky Mountain Flycasters committed to work with the city of Fort Collins in helping to maintain trails overlooking the Poudre River at the Gateway Natural Area. The August and September, 2011 TrailGate Party was a good time. There should again be ample time each work day to look for fish in the area. See the Gateway page to see a good time up the river. We look forward to a long and productive association with the City of Fort Collins.
• Our Youth Outreach programs have been expanding for the past couple of years. Our NoCO Youth Conservation & Fly Fishing Day Camp got off to a great start in 2010. We also team with the Larimer County Boys & Girls Club. The Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program is doing well. We are well into assisting with the Boy Scout Fly Fishing merit badge.
   
  Each of these programs can use volunteers to make each program run smoothly. To see how you can contribute a small or large part, please contact Dennis Cook and refer to these pages:

  NoCO Youth Camp

  Each year RMF hosts a six-day camp for youth near the end of July. Volunteers are needed in a variety of capacities from session leaders to student mentors.

  Boys & Girls Club

  Day for Kids Festival

  Rocky Mountain Flycasters will again have a booth at the Larimer Boys & Girls Clubs Day For Kids Festival on September 17th. We will demonstrate and teach casting, display and teach tying knots, display and discuss aquatic insects, demonstrate and discuss fly tying and promote our Youth Day Camp. Our chapter gains much visibility from having this booth. This is a terrific festival and is open to the general public, so bring your youngster or grandchild and share a really fun day.

  A dozen volunteers are needed to staff two shifts from 9:00 am-1:00 pm and 1:00 pm-5:00 pm (six per shift.) Last year's volunteers had a good time and look forward to sharing this year with some additional new volunteers. Getting volunteers during the summer when we aren't holding chapter meetings is a bigger challenge. If you are interested in volunteering, please email or call Dennis Cook at 970-372-9229.

  Trout in the Classroom

  Now is the ideal time to get involved with the entire agenda: from ordering the eggs through hatching and growth, to release next May. We're ready to begin TIC activities with Windsor High School to get them started on their second TIC year (2011-'12). We already have all of the equipment and last year's teacher will again be running the classroom program, plus from our experience last year we have a known schedule to follow...so there are essentially no unknowns. The coordinator will work closely with Dennis Cook and the teacher, and then take over for the 2012-'13 school year.

  Polaris High School: Polaris will be a new TIC program, and the program will be on a different curriculum year that runs January through May, so this is an opportunity to team with Dennis starting with routine ramp up preparations that will occur in December.

  Contact Dennis Cook via email or call him at 372-9229 to discuss questions and explore your interest.

  
  Boy Scout Merit Badge
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  Wanted! Rod Building Mentor

  Dennis Cook, Youth Outreach Chair

  One of RMF's Youth Day Camp graduates, a 16 year old sophomore enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program at his school, needs an experienced rod builder “Mentor” to guide him through his independent studies project...building a fly rod. He is required to maintain a detailed journal and also write a comprehensive report, and while he prefers that it be a bamboo rod he recognizes that graphite may be necessary. He also needs access to a site that has the required equipment, fixtures and tools, and of course will pay all materials expenses. He can be available beginning August 16th, on weekends and weekdays beginning 4:15pm, and has transportation.

  Contact Dennis Cook via email or call him at 372-9229 to discuss interest or to suggest a referral.

• Eagle’s Nest
  

  Eagle's Nest Open Space Previous Eagle’s Nest work can be seen on our Eagle’s Nest page.
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• Rocky Mountain Flycasters
  We can always use members who are willing to make a contribution to the organization. Whether you use your executive skills to contact and organize, your muscles to swing a pick axe, your knowledge of ecology, biology, and/or fishing to present a program, RMF could use your skills. There are occasionally Trustee positions that need to be filled and the Leadership Council can always use help with running the many programs we sponsor. Contact a board member at one of the monthly general meetings or use our list of Board of Directors.
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• Phantom Canyon: There is a need for volunteers to assist in maintaining the trails at Phantom Canyon. Many times after trail work is done, volunteers are able to use artificial flies on barbless hooks to catch and release “samples.” Potential volunteers should see the Phantom Canyon page. Additional information about Phantom Canyon and the Nature Conservancy, see www.nature.org/colorado/.
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• Rocky Mountain National Park: Help with providing park users with information or assist wildlife biologists with research. Options are wide-ranging and open to suit your needs.
   
  The 2011 preliminary Field Research schedule for RMNP is now available. For more details and to volunteer, see our Conservation page. This useful research, lead by Chris Kennedy, is also a wonderful opportunity to experience areas of the Park not often visited by the casual traveler.
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