Big Pine and Lower Keys Kids Karnival

Kid's Fishing Clinic

A New Event at the 5th Annual Kid's Karnival

The FFWC will join the Big Pine and Lower Keys Rotary at it’s 5th Annual Kid’s Karnival
and Learning Festival on March 9, 2002, at Camp Sawyer Boy Scout grounds, MM 34, West Summerland Key, Florida, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:30 PM. to present a ‘FREE Kid’s Fishing Clinic.’ Rotary members, local donors and volunteers will come together under the direction of the FFWC to offer this clinic for children of all ages.
This free clinic allows young people to learn the basics in environmental stewardship, fishing
ethics, angling skills, and safety. The Kid’s Fishing Clinics strive toward several goals. First to
provide kids with a positive fishing ethics. Surveys show that preteens that have such an experience are likely to become lifetime anglers. Most importantly, if children are taught at an
early age the vulnerability of our state’s resources perhaps they will act responsibly when it comes
to their use. Since 1996, over 20,000 children have participated in the clinics statewide. This will
be the first clinic of it’s kind in the Florida Lower Keys.
There is no pre-registration requirement, the children’s admission into the Kid’s Karnival and
Learning Festival will qualify them to participate in the clinic. The Florida Fish and Wildlife
representatives will offer five skill stations as the first part of this educational event. Those being: The Good Angler, The Touch Tank, Tackle, Knot Tying and Casting. Plans for the future include sponsoring the complete ‘Fishing Clinic’ with actual on-hands ‘rod rigging, baiting, catch and release fishing’ followed by presentations of ‘Certificates of Completion’ in the spring of 2003.
If you or your company would like to help sponsor this event or if you would like to volunteer
to help teach the kids the fishing skills, please call Richard Abrams at (850) 488-6058 or Hazel
Hartman, Big Pine and Lower Keys Rotary Chairperson, at (305) 872-2599.