Androscoggin Land Trust Continues Androscoggin River Outreach to Youth
ALT brings together Maine IF&W and Lewiston-based Tree Street Youth Center to host Youth Fishing Day at Little Andy Park Tuesday morning
Auburn, ME – As a continuation of efforts to reconnect communities of the Androscoggin River to the recreational potential of this major Maine river, the Androscoggin Land Trust (ALT), and will again be hosting Youth Fishing Days in downtown Lewiston-Auburn during the summer of 2013, with the first planned for Tuesday, July 16th.
Recognizing the strengths of various state and local partners, ALT has engaged with the very successful Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs program of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to bring their programming and resources to the community. "The Hooked on Fishing-Not on Drugs (HOFNOD) program is the flagship youth education program of the Future Fisherman Foundation and is sponsored in Maine by the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. HOFNOD uses angling skill development as a gateway to teach youth about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and how to deal with the challenges facing them in their young lives," shares Emily McCabe, Activities Coordinator for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, in describing the program
Riverside trails and parks have emerged in Lewiston and Auburn over the last 15 years, but interest is now growing for more water-based activities including kayaking, canoeing and fishing. With a growing number of worn paths emerging along the banks, as local residents seek fishing spots, ALT has moved to include riverbank fishing into its community engagement efforts.
“We are excited to be playing this coordinating role in the community of Lewiston-Auburn,” says Jonathan LaBonte, executive director of ALT. “Both cities have made significant investments in improvement to the riverfront areas, local groups like Tree Street Youth Center are seeking to engage young people and empower them to set high expectations for themselves, and Maine IFW has built a great program to connect youth to Maine’s great heritage of outdoor sports. If we can help connect these dots, we are happy to do it.”
EVENT DETAILS:
DATE: Tuesday, July 16, 2012
TIME: 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM
LOCATION: Little Andy Park, 2nd Street, behind Rolly’s Diner