NJTU just completed its second annual Coldwater Conservation School with our partners from NJ Division of Fish & Wildlife. From Thursday, June 23rd – Sunday the 26th, nearly 30 students ages 11-14 attended camp at the NJ School for Conservation in Stokes State Forest. Our campers learned about the aquatic food chain, how to tie flies and cast a fly rod, planted a riparian buffer and caged native trees and shrubs against deer and beaver damage on the Flatbrook River, and played in the Big Flatbrook and the pond on campus.
Students also learned about living in black bear country, all about reptiles and amphibians, how trout see their world, and some even learned how to set a table for the other campers for the first time. All our students enjoyed the experience with many saying they’ll be back next year. Here are some pictures of the many courses and activities they worked hard at during the four days of camp:
Here we had all our students working on the Flatbrook River just downstream of the steel bridge at Three Bridges helping to plant native trees as well as cage plantings the Fred S Burroughs North Jersey TU chapter performed last November as well as some “volunteer” native oaks and maples. The wire cages will protect the plantings from deer and beaver damage, some of which was noticeable when we arrived. 
The kids all enjoyed a river-side pizza party to celebrate their hard work and effort all morning! Then it was back to camp on the school bus for some free time. Free time meant either fly fishing the pond, fly fishing the Big Flabtrook, or tying flies with “Uncle Rick”, Rick Ege, NJTU’s Executive Director.
And of course, the obligatory bonfire complete with ghost stories. Watch out next year campers, I hear Sasquatch is in the area….
The kids were fantastic and were a perfect fit for our camp curriculum this year. We enjoyed long days and often nearly sleepless nights and all learned about new things related to trout and the places trout live. Looking forward to CCS next June 2012!
