Photo by Heidi Keuler Isaac holding a bluegill Summer 2008 - WI

FUMFS Logo

USFWS Photo Dec. 2008 Backpack contents

USFWS Photo Fishing items in backpack Dec. 2008

The average American child spends more time behind a television, computer screen, and video game than ever before.  We have also heard how child obesity, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and children who take medication for depression are on the rise.  As these social and physical issues increase, children spending time outside has decreased and there is a disconnection with nature.  If we can "disconnect" the power sources that have played a role in our children's lives, and "reconnect" to new ones such as spending time outdoors, maybe we can impact not only physcial and social problems of our youth, but also increase future conservationists.

The Friends of the Upper Mississippi Fishery Services (FUMFS), La Crosse National Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office, and La Crosse Fish Health Center saw the need to get children outside and came up with a backpack similar to the one created by the Upper Mississippi Wildlife and Fish Refuge.  The logo of the Refuge backpack is “Let’s Go Outside” and is aimed at getting children to head outside with their families.  The FUMFS decided to come up with a similar backpack, but with an aquatic theme that contains hands-on activities relating to fishing, freshwater mussels, aquatic invertebrates, and just spending time near waterbodies.  Backpacks contain a telescopic fishing pole, tackle, fish identification cards, maps, a book on how to fish, aquatic invertebrate nets, instructions on invertebrate collection, magnifying glasses, mussel shells, mussel identification book, Russell the Mussel Book, scavenger hunts, a journal, and many other items.  The FUMFS will assemble, maintain, and sell the backpacks to local businesses or organizations and then the backpacks will be donated to libraries, schools, churches, scouts, and clubs.  Backpacks will have the FUMFS logo and the patch of the organization that helped to fund it on the outside as well as "Fishing for Fun." 

Over $3600 in grants have been received to start up the program including one grant from La Crosse Rotary Foundation and one from Walmart. 

Not only will natural resources benefit from this program, but so will the child, family, and ultimately the entire community. 

Please contact the La Crosse NFWCO for more information.