This month, a few friends took my challenge from last month and decided to step out of their comfort zones and join me for an all day paddle down the Econ River. For a couple of saltwater flats purists, this low-sodium diet change was quite a different than their normal fishing. We packed up our kayaks with all the equipment and supplies required for a full day of fishing with a shore lunch in the middle. We all brought backup lunches in case the fish didn’t cooperate, but none of us needed it. Bryan stepped into a zone not often jumped into by those of the not fairer sex. He joined 5 women and his daughter for a whole day on the water! 

 

It could not have been a nicer day for adventure. Nature cooperated fully, and so did the fish. We saw all sorts of wildlife. Bryan is a walking talking encyclopedia of native and non-native fauna and flora and educated us on the different things we saw. He even cooked the lunch that us ladies so expertly caught! We paddled that river and sang and played and bravely fought the 20 knot headwind that kicked up for the last hour of the trip.  And yet, it was a little girl that stole the show, out of all the amazing wonders that Mother Nature threw at us, including a rare sighting of a flock of roseate spoonbills roosting in a moss covered tree.

 

At the end of the day, that four year old girl did not complain a single time, and seemed to thrive on the adventure as much as the rest of us. I’m not sure if she grew up a little that day, or if the rest of us grew down… but somehow at the end of the day, we all knew that kids like Miss Macy are the reason we put our volunteer hours in with Anglers for Conservation.

 

We realized the absolute importance in getting the future generation out of their homes and into nature in hopes that they grow to love and respect and protect it as much as we do. We all knew that kids didn’t have parents who were knowledgeable and comfortable being outdoors like Miss Macy, and that is reason that we put our volunteer hours in with Anglers for Conservation. Our goal is to get FAMILIES outside, not just kids.

 

In that one day, that one moment of time, I realized I had felt something stirring inside my soul. It was hope. And with it came a determination to press on and continue working towards exposing as many children as possible to the idea of conservation through angling.