Category: volunteer
Sespe Fly Fishers was awarded a $1,500 grant from Fly Fishers International. The multiple-page grant request was submitted by SFF Conservation Chair Randy Nelson who worked on the application for several days.
The funds were awarded to help Sespe Fly Fishers, in partnership with the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy, to restore the habitat of the endangered Southern California Steelhead along several tributary streams of the Ventura River.
Current restoration projects focus on re-vegetation of the active channels and floodplains and removal of invasive plant species. This is an ongoing project that was originated by the club to honor Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard’s dedication to conservation everywhere.
Recent rains have created ideal conditions for planting. Randy Nelson has contacted Jill Lashly at the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy and she has confirmed two volunteer planting dates with OVLC field staff, Destinee and Caitlyn.
The two dates scheduled for planting are 9 a.m. to noon on:
– Sunday, Dec. 22, 2019
– Friday, Jan. 10, 2020
NEED: Ten volunteers for each planting event. We will plant a total of 20 five-gallon live oaks and 134 one-gallon native shrubs.
MEETING LOCATION | Google maps link
370 Baldwin Rd, Ojai, CA 93023, (the old Honor Farm) Bldg A4
Please RSVP to Randy Nelson at oakview88nelson@yahoo.com by Decc18 to add your name to our volunteer list. This will allow OVLC to ask their members for a few more volunteers to help out, if needed.
Message from Randy Nelson:
“I’m really hoping for a good turn-out on these planting days, as our project fell behind during the recent 6 years of drought. Now that we can get back to work, I ask club members to step up to the plate! This restoration is vital to bringing back viable rivers that can sustain fish in the future! And it’s only 3 hours—think of it as a nice break from the holiday rush and your personal gift to our planet.”
OVLC will provide tools. Volunteers should bring their own work gloves, water, snacks, and sun protection.
Volunteer by Dec. 18 by emailing Randy Nelson, oakview88nelson@yahoo.com.
Greetings Trout Scouts!
We will to be scouting Lower Dark Canyon Trail next Tuesday morning and welcome you to join us. The trail follows one of the Arroyo’s tributaries that we suspect may provide rainbow trout habitat. It will be our first visit to this site, and at the very least we want to record barriers to fish passage and take photos of the creek. We may use other methods covered in the workshop depending on what we find.
Meeting Time and Location
Tuesday, June 26, at 8 a.m.
Dark Canyon Trail entrance on Angeles Crest Hwy
What to Bring
Water / snack
Sun protection (hat, sunblock, sunglasses)
Hiking shoes
Note-taking materials
Camera (optional)
Please let me know if you can make it.
Thank you!
Scott David Cher
Scott@arroyoseco.org
Rainbow Trout Restoration Project
Arroyo Seco Foundation
570 W. Avenue 26, Suite 450
Los Angeles, California 90065-1011
(323) 405-7326
Co-event organizer Ban Luu asks the kids in the crowd, “Hey, close your eyes. What do you hear?” (Jim Burns)
Poet and river visionary Lewis McAdams would have been proud to see the next generation of river stewardship unfold. (Jim Burns)
Not only did these lucky children get their own rods for free, they also got to put their names on their very own mini-tackle boxes. (Jim Burns)
Mini-tackle boxes include a waterproof chart on knot tying. (Jim Burns)
Casting practice boils down to getting that itty-bitty bobber into that great big Hulu Hoop. (William Preston Bowling)
(Click on the photos above to read the captions.)
They came, they saw and, boy, did they conquer.
The first day of the first weekend of Vamos a Pescar brought kids, parents, young adults and volunteers to Marsh Park on a May Gray morning to learn the beginnings of becoming an urban fisher for life: tidbits about our river; safety; rigging a spin outfit; casting a bobber inside a Hulu hoop ring, sort of like the pros, only with more smiles (and tangled line).
“We gave out 120 spots, an overflow from our original number,” said Bob Blankenship, Trout Unlimited South Coast Chapter and co-organizer of the event.
What does this mean for readers of this blog who know how to fish and want to pass that skill along to others? There are volunteer spots open next weekend (Saturday and/or Sunday, 9 a.m.-noon) when all these new fishers will try out their nascent skills at the Bowtie Parcel. Please sign up by contacting Blankenship at southcoasttu@gmail.com.
See you on the river, Jim Burns
Greetings Trout Scouts!
As a reminder, the Arroyo Seco Foundation will be hosting a free trout habitat survey workshop this Sunday.
The workshop will feature Ken Jarrett, a fisheries biologist with Stillwater Sciences, and cover key methods for professional stream assessment. This is a great opportunity for anyone interested in river restoration and native fish!
There are still spots left. Please RSVP to me (scott@arroyoseco.org) if you can make it.
Date & Time
Sunday, May 20, 9AM – 2PM (includes a lunch break)
Sunday, May 20, 9AM – 2PM (includes a lunch break)
Location
Hahamongna Native Plant Nursery in Hahamongna Watershed Park (The nursery can be hard to find. Click here for directions.)
Parking and restrooms are available at the nursery. From there we will take a short walk over to the stream channel and learn stream surveying methods for the assessment of native trout habitat. Be prepared for insects and uneven/slippery terrain. Some activities (such are measuring the stream gradient) will be done in the water, and closed toe shoes are required.
What to Bring
• Water
• Sun protection
• Sack lunch
• Note-taking materials
• Closed toe shoes (ideally water shoes or rubber boots if you have them)
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you!
Scott David Cher
Rainbow Trout Restoration Project
Arroyo Seco Foundation
(323) 405-7326
From FoLAR
On Saturday, April 14, join the 29th LA River CleanUp UPPER RIVER by signing up now! Last year, over 10,000 volunteers–individuals and groups from all ages and backgrounds–demonstrated their passion for the LA River by joining the Friends of LA River annual CleanUp.
The 2018 FoLAR CleanUp will be held at nine sites along the river, on April 14, 21 and 28, from 9 a.m. to noon with different locations on each date. Volunteers will receive a FoLAR reusable tote bag and FoLAR t-shirt, and other goodies, have access to entertainment and the LA River Rover mobile visitor and education center.
This year, FoLAR is also coordinating efforts with LAHSA (Los Angeles Homeless Service Authority) to increase the safety and awareness toward cleaning the river and respecting homeless population in the riverbed. To register or get more information please, click here.
By John Goraj
Guest Contributor
Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to touch base with you all and give you a quick update about what’s been going on the Native Trout Restoration Project.
Last week, we had a large event with the FedEx Cares volunteers, 48 people total doing a stream survey/invasive species mapping in the Gould Mesa and in Switzer Falls areas. We measured stream depth, stream temperature and measured invasive plant patches, in addition to doing habitat assessments.
It was a great success and I couldn’t help thinking of all of you and how great it would be if we all could accomplish something like this together?
So, anyway, I’m going to work on that and I will let you know some dates.
Below is some of the data we collected with the FedEx Cares group.
I encourage you all to go up to Arroyo Seco and look for trout in the meantime – there are several big pools in the Switzer Falls and Bear Canyon areas.
Thank you all for your time and commitment to conservation!
John Goraj is the Native Trout Program Manager at the Arroyo Seco Foundation.
If you haven’t gotten your hands dirty at one of Friends of the Los Angeles River clean-ups, now is your chance. I participate most years, and you get to meet like-minded people, as well as pull all kinds of crazy gunk out of the LA River. Here are this year’s dates:
Saturday, April 15 | 9 a.m. – noon | Upper River
Saturday, April 22 | 9 a.m. – noon | Mid River
Saturday, April 29 | 9 a.m. – noon | Lower River
The website has much more information, as well as the paperwork you’ll need to fill out. In the meantime, enjoy some sitar music (bottom of page) from a few years back to help you make up your mind to participate!
See you on the river, Jim Burns
lariverflyfishing 