With fall colors flying and the weather perfect for being outdoors to explore and enjoy your favorite scenic spot, Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery reminds you that there’s no better time to visit the hatchery, enjoy a day at our Visitor/Environmental Education Center, picnic, fish and more! The hatchery truly offers something for everyone, so come out and visit soon and enjoy a trout-tastic day of fall fun!

On Tuesday, October 18th, 2011, Wolf Creek will host the 5th Annual Outdoor Eco Adventure Field Day. The event, which is planned and implemented via a partnership between the hatchery, the Russell County Soil Conservation District and the Friends of Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery, Inc, is an annual endeavor designed to bring all 4th grade students from Russell County, Kentucky to the hatchery to learn about a variety of nature related topics, ranging from water conservation to air quality.

To maximize learning, all presenters are encouraged to center their activities on environmental education related topics, to make their stations as fun and hands on as possible, and to correlate their activities to state teaching standards. Total, over 250 students participated in last year’s field day, and this year is sure to be better than ever!

An additional outreach opportunity at the hatchery in October includes the return of our All About Aquatics workshop! With all things water as the theme, enjoy a workshop that is all about hands-on, engaging activities geared towards connecting students in grades K through 12 with the natural world around them.

Utilizing curriculums based on national standards, the training event will give participants access to Project WET (Water Education for Teachers), WOW! – Wonders of Wetlands and the Biologist-in-Training (BiT) curricula. Since 1984, Project WET, an award-winning 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, has dedicated itself to the mission of reaching children, parents, teachers and community members of the world with water education.

Building on the concepts found in Project WET, WOW! features over 50 multidisciplinary activities correlated to National Science Standards.

Leave this workshop with activities you can do with your students to better their understanding of the ecological function and value of wetlands and ways to promote informed decision-making regarding wetlands. The Biologist-in-Training (BiT) Program, a first for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Southeast Region’s Fisheries team, centers on a booklet that includes five activities geared towards teaching kids to use their observation skills while in the outdoors.

Completion of the booklet activities is also flexible as the activities can be completed at the hatchery, at home, etc. Added layers form a program that offers further aid in studying aquatic habitats, including extension activity bins, a stream survey bin, etc.

During this one day training, which will be held on Thursday, October 27th, 2011, participants will walk away with a myriad of resources, including three curricula (e.g. Project WET, WOW! and materials from the Biologist-in-Training Program) along with additional make and take ideas/items.

The registration fee for the class is $45.00 per person, which includes the materials above along with all programming and materials, lunch and snacks. The class is set to start at 9 a.m. CST and will complete at 3:30 p.m. CST. Deadline to register is scheduled for Friday, October 14th, 2011. For more information and/or how to register, please contact Environmental Education/Outreach Specialist Amanda G. Patrick at 270-343-3797 or via email: Amanda_Patrick@fws.gov.

Don’t forget that starting Tuesday, November 1st, 2011, the Visitor/Environmental Education Center will change its hours of operation back to 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. CST daily, Monday through Sunday. The center is open 364 days annually, closing only for Christmas.

Wolf Creek National Fish Hatchery is proud to sponsor educational workshops and events that help the public learn more about our incredible natural and cultural heritage. For information on these or other programs at the hatchery, including how to register and/or how you can be involved as a volunteer, please contact Amanda Patrick, Environmental Education/Outreach Specialist, at 270-343-3797 or via email: Amanda_Patrick@fws.gov.