Trout Unlimited, Inc
Grants Awarded
Trout Unlimited and the Uncivilized Outdoorsman will use grants to offer four youth programs to rekindle the connection between underserved traditional communities and their landscape, language, and ecology. This will be done via free outdoor experiences such as the Indigenous and Hispanic Youth Fly Fishing (IHYFF) camp in summer 2027, slated to serve 88 participants, aiming to foster community leaders who can cope with environmental and economic challenges. Further, the Youth Guide Mentorship Program will equip an estimated four promising participants with advanced fishing techniques and entrepreneurship skills. Moreover, three community fly-fishing 'teach-ins' will be held to instil traditional knowledge, conservation, and introduce at least 42 youth to fly-fishing. Lastly, rounding off will be the Future Water Leaders Program in summer 2028, preparing 10-12 youth aged 14-18 for leadership in water and land-related conflicts by providing first-hand experience in varied conservation careers.
Trout Unlimited (TU) is the nation’s leading conservation organization working to care for and recover rivers and streams so that future generations can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. We bring people together across the country to be champions for their rivers and help make our water cleaner and our communities healthier. Founded in 1959, TU has grown into a national organization with more than 300,000 members and supporters, 300 staff, and 400 volunteer chapters. TU believes the best conservation results come from diverse partnerships with local stakeholders, agencies, non-profits, municipalities, and landowners. In New Mexico, our community-based work focuses on protecting and restoring our most critical landscapes and cold-water ecosystems. TU has played an important role in the designation of the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, the restoration of Rio Grande cutthroat trout in local watersheds, and enhancing the quality of trout fishing through habitat improvements to our rivers and streams. We seek to reinforce and build resiliency of the outdoor spaces that have served tribal and rural communities for generations.