Fly Fish NM
Grants Awarded
Fly Fish NM (FFNM) aims to empower youth by providing inclusive fly-fishing day camps that promote environmental conservation and sustainable fishing practices. Participants develop essential life skills, such as leadership, self-reliance, and problem-solving, enabling them to become responsible stewards of the environment and positively impact their local community.
The program will provide youth with essential skills for safe fishing trips, including fly rod assembly and casting techniques, while promoting the conservation of fish habitats. By engaging in these activities, participants will develop a sense of stewardship for local wildlife, lands, and waters, ultimately benefiting the entire community by nurturing responsible environmental practices. All children are encouraged to participate in this enriching experience.
Fly Fish NM (FFNM) founded in 2020, exists to provide youth with inclusion and equitable access to outdoor activities by planning fly-fishing day camps that educate youth about conservation of our natural environment and preservation of fragile fishing habitats. Clean Air, Land, and Water are vital to our sport. FFNM coordinates efforts with organizations like Nature Nino’s, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Espanola Teen YMCA, the Mora County Youth Creative Council, Santa Fe Boys and Girls Clubs (Northern New Mexico), and also works with regional and community leaders, teachers, and other sources – to identify communities with underprivileged youth who are interested and sometimes unable to access outdoor activities. In order to educate each participant in understanding good stewardship toward the outdoors, each participant is required to clean the fishing habitat, parking area and its surroundings, of all trash and debris that may pollute the river, stream, or lake. Once each participant has picked up some trash, they will then turn in their trash bag and be assigned their own rod kit. The kit is theirs to keep. Instruction takes place thereafter. We encourage catch and release fishing. Our Fly-fishing camps are designed to expose youth to outdoor activities and teach them life skills and habitat preservation- this will educate and enable them to be good stewards of the outdoors. Youth learn leadership skills, learn how to be self-reliant, garner self-confidence, and they learn problem solving and other skills that are vital to accomplishing future goals. It also gets them away from their screens to breathe fresh air. FFNM is in compliance with all federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, and the like. Accommodations are made to provide equal access to all youth who wish to participate – this is pursuant to all federal and state laws including the ADA. Prior sources of funding include: The New Mexico Outdoor Recreation Division Outdoor Equity Grant; Cabela’s Outdoor Equity Grant (2020 & 2023); Together Outdoors Grant, (a program of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable); Santa Fe Community Foundation Donor Advised grant from Celia Lipton Farris and Victor W. Farris Foundation Fund, Greater Houston Community Foundation Donor Advised Grant from Mr. Dylan G. Rybacki Fund, The Brabson Family Foundation Grant (2023), and private donors through Go-Fund-Me. FFNM has been authenticated through Cyber Grants, Candid, and Front Door so that future donors have confidence in our standing and mission. Letters of Recommendation are submitted simultaneously herein. Equitable Youth access, inclusion, and good stewardship of our fragile outdoor environment is our mission. Visit us at FlyFishNM.org Sincerely, Andrew P. Ortiz /s/ Andrew P. Ortiz, Director – Fly Fish NM, EIN 85-11545604, 501 (C) (3), Public Charity Status: 170 (b)(1)(A)(vi)