Girl Scouts learn and have fun at Mercier Orchards

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
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Scouts and their families began
arriving, it was comfortable for
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This was a special day for area
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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
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and release policy, they all knew
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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,
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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
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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
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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
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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
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in on each session from time to
time and learned why the girls
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One girl loved Sheila so much
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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
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was fun identifying the ones they
caught.
An apology to Katy Stillwell
and her Dad Kenny who manDJHGWRODQGWKHODUJHVW¿VK,VDZ
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12” and Dad had to help Katy
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girl with her Dad, holding a big
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LQWKH6HQWLQHO:HOO.DW\,IRUgot to check the settings on the
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them, the last eight images (your
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forgotten to check the setting and
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-you were a great sport and there
will be another opportunity.
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A huge thanks to all the Trout
Unlimited people, the Save
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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.
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