Thanks to the fantastic response from members to our 45th Anniversary fundraiser mailing, we were able to raise over $3,000! The money is being put to work in updating our Youth Group and Trout in the Classroom equipment. The chapter recently purchased a water filtration system and consumable supplies for a new TIC Aquarium being set up at the Ligonier Middle School.

We also purchased fly tying materials and 7 new Regal vises for the Youth Group. Thanks to Regal Engineering for a generous discount on the vises and Clearsource for an equally generous discount on the filtration system.

The TIC aquarium is in progress and the Youth Group will start up at the Ligonier Middle School in January. We plan to address other needs with the picnic earnings such as loaner waders for the kids in the near future.

Volunteers from FTTU were on hand for an educational day on the stream with local junior high school students. Becky Bell, a retired biology teacher with the group Graceful Aging, conducted the session at the Adams Falls area of Linn Run State Park. The kids learned about macroinvertebrates and how to conduct a leaf pack study. Leaves from various species of trees surrounding the stream are placed in mesh bags and anchored in the stream. Macroinvertebrates, which feed on leaf litter, take up residence in the leaf packs. After a period of 3-4 weeks, the students will collect the bags and analyze their contents. We are interested in seeing if the summer flash floods which scoured Linn Run’s stream bed, had an effect on the macro populations. For more info on leaf packs see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCeCj5qu4K4