COLLEGE STATION — Adult volunteers are needed to teach youth about sportfishing, and no experience is required. The 4-H youth program, part of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, is looking for citizen volunteers to work with young people as part of a innovative new project centered around sportfishing.
The program will be introduced in the fall, said Tamara Trail, an Extension associate who specializes in wildlife conservation.
“No prior knowledge or skill in the area of freshwater or saltwater angling is required since extensive training will be provided to qualified applicants,” Trail said.
“However, those applying for these positions must possess a strong desire to make a difference in the life of at least one child.”
Individuals completing the project’s comprehensive training course will be equipped to instruct, encourage and mentor young people from nine to 19 years of age in the art and science of sportfishing. These master instructors, or “Fishing Guides,” will use the 4-H curriculum to engage boys and girls in sportfishing activities within their home county, she said.
A “train-the-trainer” workshop will be held Sept. 12-14 in Palacios, located on Matagorda Bay. Volunteers will receive intensive training which will enable them to specialize in one of the subject- matter areas: angling skills, tackle crafting, aquatic ecology, people and fish (which includes ethics, conservation and heritage), and coordination (management and marketing needed to build and operate a county program).
Further information is available by contacting Tamara Trail, (979) 845-6442; Dr. Ron Howard, Extension 4-H specialist, (979) 845- 1214; or Willie Younger, Extension marine education specialist, (512) 265-9203.
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