Budgets are tight.  Gas is expensive.  Airfare is out of sight.  The family trip to Florida to see the mouse may have to wait until next year.  Here's an idea for a "staycation" that will last a lifetime.

Junior Anglers is offering low-cost summer "camps" for a parent/guardian and one or two kids (ages 9 - 17) which will teach them to fish in both fresh and saltwater.  It's a skill that will bring a lifetime of enjoyment.  Each camp is Monday through Wednesday, 7 am until noon in the Baytown, Texas City, Seabrook area.  There are plenty of reasonably priced places to stay in the area or you can sleep at home and drive each day.  Since the camp is over by noon, the afternoons are free for exploring a variety of activities in the area or for a nap (our personal favorite).  There is much to see and do.  The Kemah Boardwalk is a great family area.  There's Space Center Houston at NASA.  Ride the Lynchburg Ferry to see the Battleship Texas and the San Jacinto Battleground park, or spend an afternoon and evening at the beach in Galveston.  A great time will be had by all.

4 camps are offered.  2 in June and 2 in July.  Mondays are the basic Texas Parks and Wildlife Angler Education course, Tuesdays are spent freshwater fishing, and Wednesdays are for saltwater fishing.  All schedules are subject to weather (like it's ever going to rain) and fishing conditions.  The cost is only $30 for each parent/guardian and child.  ($40 for parent/guardian and 2 children).  You do not need fishing equipment and bait is provided.  This is an incredible bargain for learning a life long skill.  Spaces are still available for all four camps, but are filling fast.

To learn more go to www.jraha.com/Summer_Camp.html  or just visit www.jraha.com and click on Programs and then Camps.  See you there!!  Have fun!!

One of the many details that Junior Anglers and Hunters have to deal with when we take a group of junior anglers fishing is....the rest room facilities.  We often take groups to public or private land areas where there are no facilities, or to a public park or pier where a large group will quickly overwhelm the existing facilities.

We have tried several approaches.  The "go do it in the woods"  was soundly rejected by the young ladies who comprise 50% of most groups.  The tent with the port-a-chair and a trash bag was ...unsuccessful.  (No, there is no video of the tent tumbling in the wind.)  The cost of renting and servicing a commercial portable toilet for a few hours on one day is prohibitive.  We like to spend our limited funds on gear and supplies for our junior anglers.  In addition, a volunteer has to meet the delivery the day before and be there again the day after for pickup.  Some of our locations are quite remote and it's a big drain on our volunteer force.

Thus was born the idea for our "cadillac"  Portable Toilet.  It was conceived with rough sketch more than a year ago by director Ed Gerhardt and board member Mike Shirley of FKP Architects.  It was built by Trailer Wheel & Frame using a Satellite toilet with TPWD COOP grant monies and cost just under $5,200.  It will pay for itself within the year. 

Our new facility is fully ADA compliant.  It has a fold down 12 foot long wheel chair ramp, and a 5 foot turning radius both inside the "john" and in the handwashing area.  We often have children with disabilities in our groups.  Our last fishing outing had 50 kids, 8 of whom had some disability.  Our new facility sits on a standard 7X16 size trailer and can relatively easily be hauled from site to site.  We also have a 49 gallon water caddy for hand washing and clean up that works with a garden hose & gravity.

After each event we drive the trailer to Gainsborough Corp who also does business as Texas Outhouses for cleaning service.  We really thank Gainsborough for donating their services and making the pump out so easy for us.  To see more photos and learn more about us, visit us on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/JuniorAngersandHunters).  Better yet, visit our website to volunteer and/or donate (http://www.jraha.com).

Last Monday, JrAHA hosted 50 high school kids from Houston's Kashmere High School and Eastwood Academy on a saltwater fishing outing on Galveston Bay.  The kids had a great time while catching 225 fish!  In addition to the bus drivers, teachers and chaperones from the schools, we had a dozen volunteers to help out.  This volunteer "opportunity" actually started the week before when 2 volunteers, cleaned out, organized, and packed up all the equipment.  This activity took an entire day.  On the day of the outing the volunteers began before daybreak, continued through the heat of the day, on until the late afternoon.  Volunteers hauled two trailers more than 40 miles to the Bay.  One trailer carries the gear, water, and safety equipment and the other carries the very fancy, state of the art, ADA compliant port-a-john (more on that next time). 

While it was barely daylight,  the volunteers set up the tables for the gear, readied the port-a-john for customers, cut bait, unpacked the gear, and generally prepared for the young anglers.  When the kids arrived, these same volunteers gave the safety speech, helped the kids with their knots and rigging and gave casting safety rules and tips.  During the day, the volunteers floated among the students helping them with baiting hooks, casting, reeling in the catch, taking the requisite "look at what I caugt" photo, and releasing the catch. 

This outing would not have been possible without this small army of volunteers.  They have all completed training and are certified Aquatic Education Instructors through Texas Parks and Wildlife.  Who are these volunteers??  They are young and old and come from all walks of life.  Why do they volunteer??  The same answer is repeated over and over.  " I learned to fish at a young age and have loved it all my life.  I want to teach another generation of young people to fish, so they can love being outdoors, like I do."  Listen to volunteer Carver Walker talk about why he volunteers on our Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/JuniorAnglersandHunters) 

To volunteer or donate to this worthwhile program visit http://www.jraha.com

Keith Miller's pledge to catch a fish a day for a year continues and his journey grows more popular.  He's up to 388 Facebook Fans (like his page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Catching-a-Fish-a-Day-with-Keith-Miller/178979678799415  ) ...and he's getting more publicity in the mainstream media.  David Sikes wrote a terrific article today for the Corpus Christi Caller about Keith's adventures. 

Mr. Sikes tells a very funny story about Keith and his wife Heather being, literally, up Inks Lake without a paddle.  Keith had just begun his year-long quest, and didn't give up after that misadventure!  The article also tells us about Keith's "gang" of neighborhood kids.  They apparently wait for him after work to go fishing in the subdivision ponds.  They bicker over who is going to take the photo of the fish for Facebook.  They surely think Keith is the "Fish Whisperer".  Check out Mr. Sikes' article at http://www.caller.com/news/2011/may/08/angler-vows-to-catch-a-fish-everyday-for-a-year/


If you support Keith in his goal to bring the joys of the outdoors to more children, pledge 7 cents a day for 365 days.  Visit  http://www.jraha.com/FISHATHON.html  You won't regret your decision to help! 

JRAHA’s mission is to foster connectivity to nature by being a gateway for accessing opportunities outdoors and by teaching outdoors recreational skills, safety & ethics, environmental responsibility and conservation practices.

Toward  that goal, we are working with numerous individuals and organizations to help even more Boys and Girls have the unique experience of learning to fish, learning to hunt, learning archery, and in the process, learning life skills.

We now have a VERY special program  under way.  It's called "Catching a Fish a Day with Keith Miller."  Keith is an avid fisherman, and even that is an understatement.  He has commited to catching a fish for 365 days in a row, beginning April1, 2011.  He wants you to pledge to donate 7 cents a day for every day he catches a fish.  That's a $25.00 donation to JRAHA, when he reaches his goal.

Keith is a very entertaining individual.  If you visit his facebook page, you can see his ongoing challenges and progress.  This is a good man - you will be rooting for him.  Go see Keith at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Catching-a-Fish-a-Day-with-Keith-Miller/178979678799415 , then make your pledge at http://www.jraha.com/FISHATHON.html.  You won't find a better use for your money.