Inspirational Story About Hard Work and Perseverance

[dnalexander]

 Lately I have felt a little fed up with all the bad news that we have been getting and began to feel a little discouraged. This story ran on my local news tonight and being an avid fisherman I found it to be very inspiring. If you go to the website and read the full story it will remind us that we can make a difference even if it takes 26 years. (Not to mention the fact that these high school kids raised over $500,000 dollars to build a fish hatchery on their campus that they operate) Also, if you look at what the Alumni have gone on to do it shows you just how valuable getting kids involved can be.

Teacher Inspires Students to Save Local Creek
Petaluma California
When Casa Grande High School teacher Tom Furrer walks along Petaluma's Adobe Creek, he can get emotional. He thinks of his wildlife biology students over the last quarter century who've resurrected the creek and saved an endangered fish by running the only high school-based fully- licensed fish hatchery in the U.S.
"What they've done is very meaningful to them and to the fish," Tom says tearfully. "It's given them a feeling, 'I've done something good.'"
The program to restore Adobe Creek and its fish population began in 1983. Tom had just lectured his class on saving endangered species.
"I had a student raise his hand one day and say, 'No disrespect, Mr. Furrer, but what you're telling me is absolutely stupid,'" Tom recalls. "His final comment as he was walking out the door was, 'We're doomed. There's nothing we can do.'"
As Tom searched for a way to give his students hope, he walked across the street from campus toward Adobe Creek. It used to be a major drinking water source, but had to come to look like a garbage dump.
Neighbor Charlie Malnati inspired him to save the steelhead trout.
Tom explains, "(Charlie) said, 'When I was a kid, they used to be here. Now they're almost gone.' Oh, there's my answer!"
The answer: bring Adobe Creek back to life.
Tom and his wildlife biology class started cleaning up the 7-mile-long creek every day. His students, calling themselves the United Anglers of Casa Grande High School, have planted more than twelve hundred trees. They built their own state-of-the-art fish hatchery with half a million dollars they raised through cake sales.
The students, who are credited with saving the endangered steelhead, are now using the hatchery to help chinook salmon.
"I think it's wonderful. I think it's wonderful," says Charlie.
The 20 students in Tom's class don't mind the hard work. When it's time to capture the fish from the creek, they're often out 'til two in the morning, even over the Christmas holiday.
"You're all so tired, especially when it's cold and late at night," says Casa Grande senior Katie Robbins. "But you're so happy."
They artificially propagate the fish, raise them in pens, release them into the Bay, and start all over again.
"They're on their hands and knees saying, 'Come to Mama, remember us?'" says Tom. "And the fish are motoring past them and they're all crying, 'It worked! It really worked!'"
Alumni like Dan Hubacher says Tom's taught him a life lesson.
"If you want something bad enough, you can achieve things you'd never imagine was possible," Dan says proudly.
So, for inspiring high school students to restore Adobe Creek and revive its fish population, this week's Jefferson Award in the Bay Area goes to Tom Furrer.


United Anglers of Casa Grande High School
http://www.uacg.org/index.html

I hope you all find it inspiring too.

David

[patyrn]

What a great project that will be a part of these kids' lives forever.  Thanks for sharing!

[sixdogsmom]

Thanks for sharing this David! What can be done with some inspiration and perspiration and cooperation! ( getting to sound like Jesse Jackson!) LOL!

[Teresa]

Awesome. And the lessons that was learned while having a good time will be invaluable.

[dnalexander]

Highlights of the students fight to save Adobe Creek.

1983
Adobe Creek in Petaluma, California is deemed "dead" by community and state officials as a result of city water diversions, which take 100% of Adobe Creek water. All downstream life dies.

1985
In an effort to start rebuilding streamside habitat students begin planting over 1100 trees a year.

1986
Fundraiser nets $6,000 to convert abandoned on-campus green house into a student-operated fish hatchery.

1987
Approximately 2,000 baby Steelhead Trout are rescued from drying summer pools.

1988
Undeterred by School Board's decision to close their first hatchery, students rebound with desire to build a world-class facility on campus. With a price tag of $510,00 students launched an all-out fundraising effort.
1989
Sonoma County Water Agency project bulldozes down 200 3-year-old redwoods planted by students. Valuable shade area is lost. The agency promises to replant area but never follows through. In 1990 students replant the area themselves.
Students begin massive campaign asking the city officials to please stop diverting all of Adobe Creek's water and let the creek heal.
1992
Due in part to relentless pressure from students, the city of Petaluma announces its plan to abandon all water diversions on Adobe Creek, giving it back to nature and the United Anglers of Casa Grande High School.Students reach goal of $510,000 enabling the completion of our new conservation fish hatchery by Spring 1993
1998
Main electrical transformer on school grounds explodes, causing power outage at the school and fish hatchery. Our back-up generator performs well for 72 hours, and then QUITS. Repair costs exceed $25,000 for generator and over $15,000 for related electrical equipment. Power outage lasts for 43 days and causes students to monitor system 24-hours a day for all 43 days.

1999
A developer's "by-pass channel" on Adobe Creek fails (as predicted by student studies) and over 12 "threatened Steelhead" are killed and over 4 feet of siltation is dumped in Adobe Creek - covering over three miles of restored rearing habitat. Students' cry for help falls on deaf ears. Who is suppose

2000
Students return to school full of spirit! Once again the battle over the by-pass channel rears its ugly head. Unable to afford legal council students continue to document the deadly trap now in place. Light rain proves good for Steelhead as over 35 adults return to spawn.

2003
Disaster strikes again. An unsupervised work crew from Sonoma County Water Agency cuts down over 200 yards of 20-year-old student-planted trees in the name of flood control. Community and student response is explosive. SCWA promises to replant and repair damage. Sonoma County Grand Jury launches a long investigation.
2004
In an effort to help educate others about the environment, students begin a new offshoot- "The Junior United Anglers." Students visit local elementary school to promote the project and begin with two teachers and 60 3rd and 5th graders.
2005
News from Japan that the story of the "Adobe Creek Restoration Project" is chapter seven in a universal textbook used in all public schools in Japan.

I am just so impressed with this story I had to put in some of the highlights.

David