Oak Brook Chapter Trout Unlimited
P.O. Box 5046
Oak Brook, IL 60522 5046
www.obtu.org
Oak Brook Trout Unlimited Conservation and Youth Education Program History
Oak
Brook
Trout
Unlimited
Conservation
andadvocate
Youth Education Program History
Stream
Restoration
Projects—Our
Chapter
has been a persistent
for and contributed money and volunteer energy to coldwater conservation
projects
nationally, regionally
Stream Restoration
Projectsand in its home state. It has helped with
conservancy
projects
from the
shoresforofand
Lake
Michigan
andand
Superior
toenergy
the to
Our Chapter has been a persistent
advocate
contributed
money
volunteer
Ozarks
of
Missouri.
OBTU
has
supported
TUDARE
(Trout
Unlimited
Driftless
coldwater conservation projects nationally, regionally and in its home state. It has helped with
Area Restoration
Effort),
TU’sofcurrent
flagship
Midwestern
streamof program,
conservancy
projects from
the shores
Lake Michigan
and Superior
to the Ozarks
Missouri. OBTU
through
operating
and monetary
efforts
and
has
supported
TUDAREgrants
(Trout Unlimited
Driftlesscontributions,
Area Restorationvolunteer
Effort), TU’s
current
flagship
planning stream
collaboration
with local
government
partners
projects in
Illinois,
Midwestern
program, through
operating
grants and
monetaryfor
contributions,
volunteer
efforts
Iowa
and collaboration
Wisconsin.with
OBTU
will provide
volunteer
and financial
support
to and
and
planning
local government
partners
for projects
in Illinois, Iowa,
Minnesota
TUDAREOBTU
($1,000)
and to
TUDARE
projects
on Farmer’s
Creek
Wisconsin.
will provide
volunteer
and financial
support
to TUDAREValley
($1,000)
and to($4000)
TUDARE
projects
on Farmer’s
ValleyinCreek
($4,000)inand
Weister Creek ($4,000) in Wisconsin in 2016.
and Weister
Creek
Wisconsin
2016.
Coldwater Fishery Grants—OBTU has raised its voice and opened its
pocketbookFishery
for the benefit
Coldwater
Grantsof Lake Michigan and the Great Lakes, the rivers that
feed them and the trout, steelhead and salmon fisheries they support. It has
OBTU has raised its voice and opened its pocketbook for the benefit of Lake Michigan and the Great
consulted on management issues and contributed to physical projects such as
Lakes, the rivers that feed them and the trout, steelhead and salmon fisheries they support. It has consulted
experimental spawning beds in Lake Michigan for lake trout restoration; it has
on management issues and contributed to physical projects such as experimental spawning beds in
put money, time and expertise into stream improvement, spawning habitat and
Lake Michigan for lake trout restoration; it has put money, time and expertise into stream improvement,
passage
projects for salmon and steelhead; and it has supported brood stock
spawning habitat and passage projects for salmon and steelhead; and it has supported brood stock
development,
stream improvement, habitat conservancy and population
development, stream improvement, habitat conservancy and population tracking related to Lake Superior
tracking
related
to Lakeefforts.
Superior
coaster
brook
restoration
efforts.
coaster brook trout restoration
Our future
initiatives
willtrout
investigate
opportunities
to partner with
Our
future
initiatives
will
investigate
opportunities
to
partner
with
like-minded
like-minded coldwater fishery conservation organizations in the Midwest and Great Lakes.
coldwater fishery conservation organizations in the Midwest and Great Lakes
area.
Michigan’s
Michigan’sColdwater
Coldwater River
River Watershed
Watershed—OBTU continues to put volunteers
OBTU
continues
to
put
volunteers
to work on
aquatic conservation
throughout
the Upper
to work on aquatic conservation
projects
throughoutprojects
the Upper
Midwest.
In Midthe
west.
For
over
a
decade,
it
has
worked
at
least
once
a
summer
on
various
projects
on
the
Coldwater
recent past, this has included monitoring the insect populations in the
River
and its tributaries
with
the Schrems
Westtributaries
Michigan Chapter
and the Coldwater
River Watershed
mainstream
and in
some
upstream
of Michigan’s
Coldwater
River
Council.
In the recent
past,
this hasresults
includedalready
monitoring
the insect base-line
populations data
in the for
mainstream
and
watershed.
These
survey
constitute
assessing
in some upstream tributaries of Michigan’s Coldwater River watershed. These survey results already
the impact of an unfortunate tree and shrub removal project gone wrong on this
constitute base-line data for assessing the impact of an unfortunate tree and shrub removal project
river last summer. OBTU will continue its commitment to the Coldwater in 2016
gone wrong on this river last summer. OBTU will continue its commitment to the Coldwater in 2016
when its volunteers will again conduct spring and fall macro-invertebrate
when its volunteers will again conduct spring and fall macro-invertebrate surveys in the watershed.
surveys in the watershed.
Trout
Troutininthe
theClassroom
Classroom—OBTU’s “Trout in the Classroom” curriculum was
introduced
inthe
2008
to south
and western
Chicago
suburban
middle
school
and
OBTU’s
“Trout in
Classroom”
curriculum
was introduced
in 2008
to south
and western
Chicago
high school
and OBTU
over 4,000
students
later,
suburban
middleclassrooms.
school and highSeven
school years
classrooms.
provided
funding for
manythe
aquaria and
equipment
packages,
as well as untold
hours of
time andyear
classroom
instruction.
Seven years
environmental
educational
program
is set-up
in its eighth
educating
students
and
over 4,000
students
later, parameters
the environmental
educational
is in trout
its eighth
yearinto
educating
about
the water
quality
necessary
toprogram
transform
eggs
the
students
about
waterstudents
quality parameters
necessary
transform
trout eggs
into waters.
the tiny fish that
tiny fish
thatthe
those
will release
intotoDNR
specified
Illinois
those
students
will release
into DNR
Illinois
As TU leaders,
we know
that next
the future
As TU
leaders,
we know
thatspecified
the future
ofwaters.
our continued
success
is the
ofgeneration
our continuedofsuccess
is
the
next
generation
of
river
stewards
we
inspire
to
take
care
of
our rivers
river stewards we inspire to take care of our rivers and streams
and
streams
long
after
we
are
gone.
long after we are gone.
Youth Fly Fishing Instruction—The Chapter’s Youth Fly Fishing Program is
now inFly
its Fishing
12th yearInstruction
offering one-day fly fishing classes to boys and girls 11
Youth
years
and older.
OBTU
equipment,
fly offering
tying materials
The
Chapter’s
Youth Fly
Fishingfurnishes
Program isall
now
in its 12th year
one-day flyand
fishing classes
instruction
free
of
charge.
The
Chapter
has
introduced
over
700 young
people
to boys and girls 11 years and older. OBTU furnishes all equipment, fly tying materials
and instruction
to
fly
fishing
through
this
program.
OBTU
supports
a
TU
Teens
program
at this
free of charge. The Chapter has introduced over 700 young people to fly fishing through
Riverside
Brookfield
School
where
young men
and women
learnwhere
the skills
program.
OBTU
supports aHigh
TU Teens
program
at Riverside
Brookfield
High School
young
of fly
and
introduced
TU’s
ethic.
The
men
andfishing
women and
learnfly
thetying
skills of
fly are
fishing
and fly tyingtoand
are conservation
introduced to TU’s
conservation
Chapter
also provides
leadership,
mentors
support
annual
ethic.
The Chapter
also provides
leadership,
mentors and
and financial
financial support
for for
the the
annual
Illinois
IllinoisofCouncil
of Trout
Unlimited
and
Flybanks
Fishing
Camp
on River
the in
Council
Trout Unlimited
Conservation
andConservation
Fly Fishing Camp
on the
of the
Au Sable
Michigan
13-18
olds.River
OBTU in
willMichigan
continue all
these programs
in 2016.
banks for
of the
Auyear
Sable
forof 13-18
year olds.
OBTU will
continue all of these programs in 2016.