UPSAC has many opportunities to volunteer and one of our upcoming projects is to teach kids about ethical angling, habitat and species identification, and stewardship of our precious ocean resources. It’s a way to keep at-risk kids off the streets and in a positive and productive environment. Starting in early 2010 in the Los Angeles area, we’ll be working with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the South Bays and we need mentors who will give a few hours each month (specific dates coming soon). Areas of responsibility include:
- transporting kids to/from Club locations
- preparing nutritious snacks for kids
- setting up fishing rods
- providing fishing instruction for kids
- providing information on the surrounding habitat
- teaching kids about conservation and recycling
- cleanup
Don’t fish? No worries! Mentors aren’t required to have any fishing experience at all (a fishing expert will always be present). Your presence and participation in these kids’ lives is what really matters!
Fill out the form to join UPSAC (there aren’t any dues–it’s just how we keep in touch with you) and let us know what area you can help out with. We’ll send updates on our program as the event gets nearer and also to see when you’d be available.
Having participated with UPSAC on a number of programs at Goleta, Bolsa Chica, it sure was a lot of fun. The work was a no brainer – almost instinctive – just like taking my kids out fishing and not worrying about catching anything for myself, but trying my best to pass on skills and tips for the next generation. And getting kids hooked on fishing now and teaching them to respect the resource means another future avid angler and conservationist to join the ranks. Those events gave me the idea to sponsor classes for my local cub scout pack up here in the San Jose, CA area. I also sponsor an after school enrichment class at my kids’ elementary school, and we just went out Saturday with my local Cub Pack and fished Santa Cruz Wharf. The parent volunteers who showed up learned a lot and some were so stoked, they went out the night before and bought their own combos to get back into fishing. As for the nutritious snacks, I’m not a stickler. In-n-Out with fresh, not frozen, beef, seems pretty nutritious to me! LOL.