“Go Fish,” is the imperative from a popular children’s card game, but that is just what Benjamin Logan Environmental Science Club members did for their last meeting of the year. Volunteers from the Mad River chapter of Trout Unlimited, a non-profit dedicated to the preservation of aquatic ecosystems,  led the students through a series of activities related to that goal. The ESC members learned about trout anatomy and the importance of the riparian zone. They learned to cast with a fly rod, and they tied their own flies.

The Benjamin Logan Environmental Science Club is directed by teachers Bruce Smith, Spencer Reams, and Ryan Kerns along with Bob Stoll and Catherine Carter from the Logan County Land Trust. The mission of the Logan County Land Trust is to promote the preservation and wise use of the lands of Logan County. The ESC will resume activities when the 2024-2025 school year commences. It is open to students from 4th grade and above.

Trout Unlimited volunteer Tom Allen discusses the importance of the riparian zone with ESC members.

Benjamin Logan Environmental Science Club members learn to tie a wooly bugger.

Blake Crockett and his companions master the art of fly casting.

Kurtis Fishbaugh (no pun intended) displays the “lawn trout” that was the reward for his casting accuracy. The students used the model fish to learn proper handling and release techniques.