Support the Alaska Salmon Runners' campaign for the Bristol Bay Fly Fishing & Guide Academy
The Bristol Bay Fly Fishing & Guide Academy educates and inspires Bristol Bay young adults to become local leaders in salmon stewardship, and prepares them for guiding jobs on their home rivers.
Trout Unlimited is proud to work with our partners, including the Bristol Bay Heritage Land Trust and Bristol Bay Native Corporation (and many others!) to bring you this program each year. The Bristol Bay Fly Fishing & Guide Academy seeks to employ local youth in the bustling, world-class sportfishing tourism industry in Bristol Bay. Now in its 8th year, the Academy equips students with job training, fly fishing techniques, safety information, and even college credit. It's a valuable professional development opportunity for the students and attractive to lodge owners and employers who seek well-trained, knowledgeable guides for their operations in Bristol Bay. And who could be more knowledgeable than guides who grew up with these rivers out their backdoor?
In addition to job training, the river-side course merges salmon and river education, with recreation and conservation principles necessary for the students to become conservation advocates in their communities and link the many seasonal visitors to the salmon and trout conservation issues in the region.
We offer this program for FREE to young people in Bristol Bay and we depend on continued support from a wide range of people. You can help cover a student’s travel and learning cost by sponsoring a student for $250 or an amount you can afford.
Thank you for supporting this important program in Bristol Bay!
About the Team: The Alaska Salmon Runners originates by an initiative from Norwegian and Swedes Erlend, Erik, Stian and Maria. All being former student athletes in skiing and running at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The main aim is to unite Scandinavians and Americans with an Alaska connection, in a running team for the 340 km-long St. Olavsloppet Road Relay from Östersund, Sweden to Trondheim, Norway. June 29-July 2 2016. In addition to running the relay, the members of the team will organize and take part in several cultural and sustainability events in the spirit of US Senator Fulbright. These include fundraising for the Bristol Bay Fly Fishing & Guide academy, and for sea trout stream restoration efforts in Verdal, Mid-Norway.
