Outdoors with Larry DiDonato - Last Child in the Woods” Won’t be from a Catskill School

That's one happy camper, or should I say, fisher! Fishing was a bit slow but this persistent Catskill fifth grader kept going until he landed a nice pumpkin seed; a common member of the sunfish family. The whole Fifth grade at Catskill Elementary got to go fishing and kayaking for two days on the Catskill Creek; connecting them to the outdoors all while having a great time.

The Catskill Central School District Fishing Program kicked into high gear once again this May. Fifth-graders under the leadership of Catskill’s Athletic Director, Brian Smith started their day with the long walk from the Catskill Elementary School (CES) to the banks of the Catskill Creek by the high school.

The annual event coalesced when Catskill’s Fishing Program dovetailed with their long-running Kayak Program. This year, it took four days to get over 80 fifth-graders fishing and kayaking through the now joined programs.

Students took turns kayaking on the creek while the onshore squad got an abbreviated version of Fishing “101”, then commenced to dunking worms. Fishing was conducted under the guidance of staff from the Dicks House of Sports Outdoor Education Program of Latham, plus teachers, Cait Davis, Eric Joyce, school staff, and parent-volunteers doubling as freshwater fishing aficionados.

Dicks House of Sports Outdoor Education Program partners with schools in the Capitol District with Catskill CSD’s Fishing Program being among the most active.

Fishing was a bit slow this year but a number of happy students caught and released their first fish, while other first timers and newcomers vowed not to be “skunked” on their next outing, now that they are “hooked” on fishing. Judging from the smiles and excitement, it’s safe to say a good time was had by all. Seed funding in the form of a generous grant from the non-profit, Catskill Educational Foundation, enabled the creation of the Fishing Program at the Catskill District a number of years ago.

On-water safety for this week’s events was provided by Marine Law Enforcement patrols from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies aboard their law enforcement vessel maintained a safe perimeter for the other half of the program where students were introduced to the world of kayaking on the Catskill Creek. Sheriff’s Deputies kept a close eye on the fifth-grade kayakers as their mentors safely introduced them to the sport. NYS DEC Police ECO Jason Smith was also on hand worming hooks, detangling lines, and mentoring both new and experienced kid-fishers.

This year’s events on the creek would not have been possible without the continued effort of newly appointed Catskill Central School District Athletic Director, Brian Smith. Brian has been teaching physical education at CES for 19 years and serves as the varsity golf coach, golf coordinator for the Patroon Conference, as well as the District’s Aquatics Program Coordinator. At the inception of the program over five years ago, Brian garnered support from CES Principal John Rivers, who immediately recognized the value of enhancing students connecting to nature while kayaking and now fishing under Brian’s direction.

Catskill’s Fishing Program had its first event back in October of 2019 when 35 middle schoolers fished North Lake with the assistance of staff from Dicks Sporting Goods, DEC, and school employees. That was the first-time fishing was added as an activity to the “Greater Sense of Place Program” (GSOP). GSOP is run by Catskill Middle School social studies teacher/outdoorsman, Dave Taylor. GSOP has been an innovative, forward-thinking program at Catskill CSD for well over 40 years.

Each October, Catskill middle schoolers are introduced to the wonders of nature as well as local places of interest that exist right in their own backyard. Activities include hiking, mountain biking, and geo-caching plus much more. It also includes immersive instructional experiences at local businesses and landmarks. The time honored GSOP program introduces kids to the many adventures that exist all around them.

Dave Taylor also oversees the Catskill Middle School Fishing Club. The fishing equipment used in this week’s kayak/fishing program was purchased at the formation of that club. Bait and tackle were supplied by Catskill’s Tom Gentalen of River Basin Sport Shop.

Getting kids connected to the outdoors is a critical component of GSOP, the Catskill Middle School Fishing Club, and the Fifth Grade Kayak/Fishing Program. Renowned author, Richard Louv tackled the topic of connecting kids to nature in his 2005 literary work, “Last Child in the Woods; Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder.“ It has been described as a work that, “…documents decreased exposure of children to nature in American society and how this ‘nature deficit disorder’ harms children and society.”

While we should not be unduly alarmed at the seemingly growing trend where kids and adults grow less connected to the natural environment, it remains a topic of concern. Kids especially are spending an inordinate amount of time on screens, and according to the author, often view nature as a distant intangible, not recognizing the abundance of the natural world all around them.

They’re likely to be more familiar with problems like disappearing rain forests or the plight of dwindling African Elephant populations on a global conceptual level rather than recognize serious threats and destruction of their environment right where they live.

Fishing, aquatics, and innovative program like GSOP help immerse students in the beautiful and often sensitive ecosystems right in their own backyards. Our surrounding woods, waters, wetlands and mountains offer cheap and often times free opportunities to safely explore local wonders of nature.

Let’s help kids, their parents, and teachers, safely connect them to the outdoors so we ensure “The Last Child in the Woods” won’t be one lucky enough to have been a Catskill student.

Happy Hunting, Fishing, and Trapping until next time!

News and Notes…

Norton Hill Wildlife Club’s 2024 Trap Shooting Schedule

Trap shooting at Norton Hill Wildlife Club at 946 Big Woods Road in Greenville begins at 10:00 am on the following Sundays: June 9th and 16th, July 14th and 28th, August 4th and 25th, and on September 15th and 29th. Cost is just $5.00 per round. Bring your own ammo. Trap shooting is open to all; you don’t have to be a member to take advantage of this opportunity.