Mat Daniels receiving the 2014 Brass Bluegill Award from Barb Gigar of the IDNR
2014 Brass Bluegill Award and Brass
Bluegill Meritorious Awards
The Iowa
Department of Natural Resource’s Aquatic Education Program recently honored three
individuals for their efforts in helping Iowa’s youth become skilled anglers
and advocates of fishing and natural resources conservation.
Mat Daniels,
social studies and science teacher at Kanesville Alternative Learning Center,
is the 2014 recipient of the Brass Bluegill
Award. Laura DeCook, Naturalist with Mahaska County Conservation Board, and
Greg Wolf, Naturalist with the Davenport Parks and Recreation, are both
recipients of Brass Bluegill Meritorious
Awards. All three awardees have established outstanding local programs that
exemplify the goals of Fish Iowa!.
Mat Daniels has
been involved with Fish Iowa! for
four years. He works with 150 students each year and uses the Fish Iowa! curriculum with at-risk students
in the Passages Program. Daniels applied for and was granted Fish Iowa! as a curricular choice at his
school. It is a nine week course and upon completion students get an elective “Fish Iowa!” credit on their transcript.
Daniels says “I believe that fishing is something students can take with them
forever.”
Laura DeCook has
been involved with Fish Iowa! for
eighteen years. She has coordinated fishing and aquatic programs for school
field trips, public fishing events, and youth day camps. She also instructs
in-class programs relating to aquatics and fishing. Always an advocate of the Fish Iowa! curriculum, DeCook trains and
mentors teachers and naturalists wishing to become involved in Fish Iowa!.
Greg Wolf has
been involved with Fish Iowa! for twelve
years. He started the “Family
Learn-How-To-Fish Day” in Davenport.
This day encourages families to discover the excitement of fishing in an
urban city. The event is held at Vander Veer Botanical Park Lagoon. Several
stations are set up for families to learn different aspects of fishing
including: fly tying, casting, water safety, and pole maintenance, among
others. Families are also allowed to fish in the lagoon.
All three
recipients began fishing at a young age with family members. Their early exposure
to the outdoors stirred a lifelong passion that all three have chosen to share
with Iowa’s youth. While all three awardees have different programs, they share
a commonality of passion for the sport of fishing, and a true desire to see
today’s youth given a chance carry on the tradition. Their programs ensure that
children will have the chance and opportunity to explore nature, develop a love
of the outdoors, and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Fish Iowa! strives to create safe anglers and responsible
stewards of Iowa’s aquatic resources. Fish
Iowa! is supported by Sportfish Restoration Funds, which are obtained from
excise taxes paid on fishing tackle and related items and fishing license
dollars.
Media Contact: Barb Gigar, Education and Outreach, Iowa Department of
Natural Resources, 641-747-2200.
