3rd Annual National Wildlife Refuge Week Kids Fishing Clinic a Success!!

For the third year in a row, I have partnered with the Panther/10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuges and Port of the Islands Marina to host a kids fishing clinic in honor of National Wildlife Refuge Week. Each year we invite students from Collier County's Migrant Student Program to attend, and I can say hands down, they are the best kids to work with!! I don't know who has more fun-them our us! We had 48 kids participate in this year's clinic, and the weather couldn't have been better!!
The students rotate through a series of skills stations before getting to fish along the marina's seawall. The kids did an awesome job fishing. They caught tarpon, snappers, and mojarras! Then half the group has lunch while the other half goes on a manatee tour and then they switch.
The event is a great example of team work. Collier County Parks and Recreationa dontates shrimp, the Marco Island Sport Fishing Club sends volunteers, FWC sends an officer, and the refuge sends staff and volunteers to teach the skills stations, Port of the Islands Marina donates the lunch (pizza), Double R's Manatee and Nature Tours donates the manatee tours, and Fish Florida donates the rod and reels and tackle boxes that the kids get to keep and take home-one of many highlights of the day! I can't thank our partners, volunteers, and sponsors enough! Enjoy the pictures