This March, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) will be hosting an Aquatic Volunteer Instructor workshop in Baton Rouge. This hands-on workshop is led by LDWF biologists and will be held on Wednesday, March 21.
While the event is free, a $25 registration fee is required to reserve your spot. This fee will be returned to you upon your arrival at the workshop.
Through LDWF’s Aquatic Volunteer Instructor Program (Aquatic VIP), volunteers will gain the knowledge and skills necessary to teach today’s youth about fishing and other fishing related topics. The workshop offered through this program is perfect for teachers, Scout leaders, homeschoolers, and anyone who enjoys fishing and the outdoors!
The workshop is open to everyone. Attendees will receive the training necessary to become a volunteer instructor, a vital ally in LDWF’s efforts to increase fishing participation and wise utilization of natural resources across Louisiana. Topics and activities include knot tying, casting skills, basic fishing techniques, fish identification, fisheries management and more. All attendees will be provided with lesson plans and activity guides for grades K-12, as well as additional educational materials.
After completing the 8-hour workshop and passing a background check, volunteers can borrow equipment to help teach these topics to others. For example, if you’ve always wanted to host your own fishing clinic for youth, but didn’t have the materials and resources to do so, then this is your solution! LDWF can provide fishing rods with basic tackle, a knot tying kit, art and crafts activities and more.
To find out more information or to sign up, visit: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/page/aquatic-vip. For any questions about the Aquatic Volunteer Instructor Program, contact Alayna McGarry at (504)286-4050 or at amcgarry@wlf.la.gov.
If you cannot make this particular workshop but have a group of people interested in taking this training workshop together, please contact Alayna McGarry at 504-286-4050 or at amcgarry@wlf.la.gov. The LDWF can come to your area and set up a private workshop for you and your group.
LDWF’s Aquatic Volunteer Instructor Program is hosted in conjunction with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation. The LWFF was formed to provide a means for individuals and corporations to become partners with the Department and Commission in the challenge of conserving Louisiana’s wildlife and fisheries resources.
