COMMUNITY NEWS Girl Scouts learn and have fun at Mercier Orchards Thursday, May 7, 2015 • FANNIN SENTINEL Page 5A CELEBRATE By Elaine Owen, Editor Morning came early Saturday, May 2 as volunteers from Blue Ridge Trout Unlimited gathered at Mercier Orchards upper irrigation ponds at 8:30 a.m. A bit FKLOO\ DW ¿UVW E\ WKH WLPH *LUO Scouts and their families began arriving, it was comfortable for ¿VKLQJDQGOHDUQLQJ This was a special day for area *LUO 6FRXWVDQ RSSRUWXQLW\ WR learn about laws, growing Hemlock trees and to identify and FDWFK¿VK7KHPRVWIXQSDUWDFcording to Ashland Cipich, was either helping make a cane pole and watching the adults from Trout Unlimited rig it, or actualO\FDWFKLQJD¿VK,WGLGQ¶WPDWWHU KRZELJWKH¿VKZLWKWKHFDWFK and release policy, they all knew WKH¿VKZRXOGEHSODFHGEDFNLQ the water to continue growing. Some parents and leaders brought camp chairs or blankets IRUDIXQRXWLQJ*URXSVRIIDPLlies and friends quickly paired off around the ponds; for some, LW ZDV WKH ¿UVW RSSRUWXQLW\ WR FDWFKD¿VK Big tents were set up for educational events; learning to idenWLI\ WKH GLIIHUHQW ¿VK IRXQG LQ Fannin County, making a cane poll and/or putting a hook, bobber and weight on a spinning rod. Kim Foster and Mercier Orchards were instrumental in helping get everything set up for the girls and for having rods, picnic tables and other supplies ready. Practical things, like making sure handouts were available and D¿UVWDLGNLWRQKDQGZHUHOHIW WR 78 PHPEHUV DQG *LUO 6FRXW leaders. With most parents eager to help and the TU members and scout leaders on hand, the girls were well supervised all day. Donna Shearer and Cynthia 0DXGHZLWK6DYH*HRUJLD+HPlocks told the girls how important Hemlock trees are to our environment and gave each girl a bucket, showed them how to add dirt, then a small Hemlock tree, tamp down the dirt lightly, and water. The girls were able to take the small trees home with instructions to re-plant. Kaylee Welch (from Canton) and Katelyn Eubanks were excited to have their own trees and asked questions to make sure they “did everything right.” Some of the questions were if the trees would grow in the shade (they will, but semi-shade is better). Ms. Shearer cautioned the girls that they had to make sure the small trees were not planted in direct sunlight. Ranger Cody Jones from the Department of Natural Resources talked to the Scouts about respect and authority; posing, “What would you do...” type questions the girls were eager to answer. Kristen Cipich and Kaleighann Ware seemed to know DOOWKHDQVZHUV 6RPH RI WKH VRPH *LUO 6FRXWV KDG QHYHU EHHQ ¿VKLQJ*HWWLQJWKHSDWFKHVZDVWKH main motivation but as the girls walked around the educational area, chose their cane poles, and learned how to cast, or at least throw out a line, their attitudes changed. They learned not only DERXW KRZ WR FDWFK D ¿VK EXW about conservation and keeping streams and banks clean, “leaving it better than they found it.” According to Ralph Artigliere, Educational Chair at Trout Unlimited, “This was an extraordiQDU\HYHQW,QDGGLWLRQWRWKHRSSRUWXQLW\WR¿VKWKHHGXFDWLRQDO components were superb; from cane pole making to Hemlock NQRZOHGJHWR¿VK,'DQGKDELWV WR UHVSHFWLQJ WKH ODZ , OLVWHQHG in on each session from time to time and learned why the girls OLNHGWKHOHDUQLQJSDUWVRPXFK One girl loved Sheila so much IURPWKH³)LVKLGHQWL¿FDWLRQDQG KDELWV´ VHVVLRQ WKDW VKH ¿VKHG QHDU 6KHLOD¶V WHQW DQG FDUULHG HDFK ¿VK VKH FDXJKW EDFN IRU Sheila to see. Making that type of connection in 15 minutes of teaching is extraordinary, and it shows the quality of our efforts.” *LUO 6FRXW &RRUGLQDWRU 7KHresa Watkins said the girls were really excited to learn about the W\SHV RI ¿VK LQ WKH DUHD DQG LW was fun identifying the ones they caught. An apology to Katy Stillwell and her Dad Kenny who manDJHGWRODQGWKHODUJHVW¿VK,VDZ 6DWXUGD\,WPXVWKDYHEHHQ 12” and Dad had to help Katy UHHOLWLQ,WZDVDQDZHVRPHVLJKW DQG,ZDVEXV\FDSWXULQJLWDOORQ FDPHUD *UHDW SLFWXUHVD OLWWOH girl with her Dad, holding a big ¿VK,SURPLVHGWRSXWWKHSLFWXUH LQWKH6HQWLQHO:HOO.DW\,IRUgot to check the settings on the FDPHUDDQGZKHQ,GRZQORDGHG them, the last eight images (your SLFWXUHVZHUHRXWRIIRFXV,KDG forgotten to check the setting and LW ZDV RQ ³0DQXDO´ ZKHQ , H[SHFWHG ³$XWRPDWLF´ ,¶P VRUU\ -you were a great sport and there will be another opportunity. .HHS¿VKLQJDQGNHHSOHDUQLQJ A huge thanks to all the Trout Unlimited people, the Save *HRUJLD +HPORFNV SHRSOH DQG WKH*HRUJLD'HSWRI1DWXUDO5Hsources who spent hours in the sun helping our young people learn and grow. at Sunday, May 10, 2015 Join us in the Dining Room At Brasstown Valley Resort & Spa As our Culinary Team presents their Annual Mother’s Day Brunch Live Music by Emerald Isle Seating’s will begin at 11:30am until 3pm A copy of the menu can be found on our website www.brasstownvalley.com Arts & Crafts Show from 10am - 4pm Reservations are strongly suggested & may be made by calling 706-379-4617 6321 Highway 76, Young Harris, Georgia 30582 TU Treasurer Lynn Brincks shows Girl Scouts how 0RPFDWFKHVD¿VK to bait the hook. 7URXW8QOLPLWHGPHPEHUVJHWJHDUUHDG\IRU*LUO6FRXWV¿VKLQJ6DWXUGD\ 5DOSK$UWLJOLHUHH[SODLQVWKH¿QHSRLQWVRIFDQHSROH¿VKLQJ