by Linda McAteer, STREAM Girl Coordinator
With the heat of summer and the U.S. Forest Service fire closings, the Girl Scouts are running modified programs during this camp season. Fortunately, they are including several aspects of the STREAM Girl program, including the macro investigations on Chase Creek, along with water flow estimates. Sharon Masek Lopez and I trained Camp leaders on Chase Creek to lead these classes in May.
June 12, Sharon Richardson and Kay Cameron were on hand at Shadow Rim Ranch Camp for a day of casting lessons, gear demonstrations, and instructions on tying a wooly bugger. The first day was studying macroinvertebrates on the stream that runs through the camp. Day two started with “what is fly fishing?” For four-hours they covered equipment, knot tying, casting and the girls tied their own wooly bugger. ZGTU supplied the fly tying kits and the instructors rustled up fly rods, fly tying materials and a plastic tarp on which to cast to save the lines from landing in elk poop. The girls learned to a ‘pick up and lay down’ and a roll cast. A group of senior Scouts and their leader were an attentive class making it a successful day.
Planning for the 2019 Girl Scout camp season begins this fall and I have been asked to attend the planning sessions so that the STREAM Girl program can be included in next year’s Girl Scout summer camp catalog.
Thanks to all the support I’ve had from the Arizona Women of TU, AZ Council and chapters, especially Zane Grey, the program is moving forward with the Cactus to Pine GS Council.
