Yellowstone Country Guardians Field Journal: Wrapping Up The 2011 River Guardian Fly Fishing School: Much Love...

2011 River G Crew.

This year’s program was a big hit for 18 high school aged students from Park and Gallatin Counties. This diverse collection of spirited young people came together as individuals and left as an inspired team of River Guardians. Throughout the course of the five-day program students learned about the water and watersheds that are the lifeblood of Yellowstone Country through lessons in watershed ecology, riparian habitat, trout behavior, the trout environment, aquatic invasive nuisance species, and much more that will give each participant the ability and understanding to become a guardian of the Yellowstone watershed. Students were introduced to the art of fly fishing and after getting on the water each day to pursue trout, they were rewarded with a full-day float with nine of the best guides the region has to offer. As part of our service project and “Giving Back” day, we removed over twenty 30-gallon trash bags of Spotted knapweed from the Joe Brown Fishing Access Site. YCG wants to thank the 18 students who joined us each and every day with energy and a desire to learn and grow as leaders and stewards of our watersheds. To read more about each day of the River Guardian School peruse through our Field Journal Blog and take a journey through a week that changed the lives of many local teens.

With an influx of late applicants and high water making it all but impossible to wade fish the Yellowstone River, with multiple moving parts we were constantly on our toes and ready for whatever was thrown our way. This year we provided 18 students $1,300+ scholarships to participate in the program and with over 20 volunteers over the course of the week we were able to provide an experience that has changed the way these young people think about water and their role as river guardians.

We want to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors, supporters and volunteers, who made this year’s school possible and impactful for each participant...

Sponsors:

John Dolinsek and Kathy Kent Fund, Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, Simms Fishing Products, Matson Rogers and Angler’s West Fly Shop, Dan Bailey’s Fly Shop, Sweetwater Fly Shop, Echo Fly Rods, Montana Troutfitters, Engine Eight, Parks’ Fly Shop, Timber Trails, and the Big Sky Youth Empowerment Project.

Supporters and Volunteers:

Yellowstone Raft Co., Toots and B&G Shuttle Service, Howling Hounds; Gardiner School for allowing us to host our 2011 program on campus; and the Gardiner District Forest Service and Matt Wilhelm of Center for Aquatic Nuisance Species for partnering with us on our Spotted knapweed weed pull at Joe Brown.

And to our tireless volunteers: Mitchell Cloghessy, Jacob Bateson, Kyle Laubach, YCG board members Nathan Varley and Ashea Mills, Keith Young, Tyrene Riedl, Burke Holmes, and Jeff Musselman.

Much love to our dedicated professional guide staff for volunteering a full day on the river: Matson Rogers, Dan Grabowski, Chuck Borg, Josh Wolf, Ben “The Man” Jewell, and from Montana Troutfitters Kris Kumlien, Colter Anderson, Rick Matney.

Lastly, none of this would have been possible without the time, dedication and efforts of my tireless wife Crystal, and our dedicated program mentors. I have to give much love and a special thanks to my giving father Steve, who took the week off to work with the River Guardian Crew; YCG supporter and friend John Dolinsek, who journeyed from Missoula to spend the week working as a mentor and volunteer; and our tireless intern (and my sister) Ashley Sherburne for all of her extraordinary efforts to help make this program happen in 2011.

I also want to thank the YCG Board for believing in our vision and helping to make these transformative experiences for the youth we work with a reality.

~Michael Leach, Director and Founder

2011 River Guardian School Sponsors:

John Dolinsek