New Mexico Wildlife

New Mexico Department of Game and Fish
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Last Updated: 1/17/2013

| Project WILD Home | Curriculum Guides and Supplemental Materials | Project WILD Workshops | Aquatic Resources Education Program | Correlations to NM Standards and Benchmarks |

 

New Mexico Aquatic Resources Education Program

 

The Aquatic Resources Education (ARE) program provides fun and educational ways to introduce kids and adults to the sport of fishing, and to first-hand experiences monitoring watersheds throughout New Mexico. The program is mostly funded by anglers through the money provided by the Sports Fish Restoration Act- a federal program that taxes the equipment used by anglers.

 

Become an Aquatic Resource Education Volunteer!

  • Teach kids to fish and be good stewards of the aquatic environment.
  • Assist kids in restoring and monitoring the health of our watersheds.
  • Work with natural resource and education professionals in the classroom and the field.

Click Here for the Volunteer Instructor Application

Click Here for Gone FIshing Volunteer Newsletter

 

Angling Education

 

Learn to fish from a pro -- for free!

 

fly fishing classCasting a line and catchin' fish -- the basics of angling --offer fun for entire families in New Mexico's enchanting outdoors. For those who have never fished or are a little rusty, yet eager to get started, the Fishing Skills Program offers FREE clinics with all the equipment you need for learning from experienced, professional trainers.

Students of all ages learn basic skills of:

  • assembling tackle
  • knot tying
  • identifying fish and good fish habitat
  • casting
  • fish handling
  • New Mexico's fishing rules and regulations
  • angling ethics
  • aquatic food webs
  • outdoor safety and fishing safety
  • basic and intermediate fly-fishing skills

 

To schedule a fishing clinic at your community or school, contact Ti Piper, Fishing Skills contractor, at (505) 250-9994 or (505) 281-5647

  • Watch for New Mexico Free Fishing Day events on the first Saturday in June each year and local community fishing events in your area.
  • 2013 Free Fishing Day is set for Saturday, June 1st.  Statewide fishing clinics will be posted in the spring.
  • National Get Outdoors Day is Saturday, June 8, 2013.  Free fishing clinic and other events at Tingley Beach, Albuquerque.
  •  Kids-to-Hatcheries Educator's Guide and mini-crate can be checked out from any State Fish Hatchery or from the main office in Santa Fe.

 

Watershed Watch

High school students around the state participate in this long-term watershed monitoring program. Schools are provided with water testing equipment that inlcludes spectrophotometers, turbidimeters, reagent kits and the Watershed Watch Workbook.  We currently have 21 New Mexico high schools enrolled in the program.

 

Watershed Watch

 

  • Watershed Watch is concerned with watershed management practices, benthic invertebrates, water quality, and their relationship to fish habitat. The program consists of laboratory work and field sessions on stream collection and analysis.
  • The long-range goal is to develop these analyses to make recommendations to the Department for future fisheries management in selected streams.

    For Aquatic Resources Education assistance and information, contact Kevin Holladay, Project WILD Coordinator, at (505) 476-8095 or kevin.holladay@state.nm.us, OR Colleen Welch, Project WILD Co-Coordinator, at (505) 476-8119 or colleen.welch@state.nm.us.

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