May 23, 2001
Dear Sir or Madame:
I am excited about a new class at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. It's a course for entering freshman students called "Northern Stream Ecosystems & the Angler". Allow me to tell you a little more about this course and myself. This class explores the nature and value of streams from different perspectives, introduces the natural history of streams, and studies ecological concepts of stream organization in addition to increasing student appreciation of angling as a leisure pursuit. About half of the class is modeled after the successful angling course that George Harvey started at Pennsylvania State University many years ago. In addition to being a professor and research ecologist, I am a long time member of the Federation of Fly Fishers, Trout Unlimited, and a FFF Certified Basic Casting Instructor. I need your help to instruct this course at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
This Freshman Seminar (3 college semester credits) meets twice a week in the late afternoon for an entire semester. Each class meeting uses a combination of activities and lecture/discussions to introduce scientific, conservation, and angling concepts but the class also includes meetings with regional stream experts in government, guest lectures by scientists and popular literature authors, and culminates in field trips to streams in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. Classic examples of streams are locally abundant and close to our university, including the spring-fed, world-renown, Bois Brule River in northern Wisconsin and freestone streams along the north shore of Lake Superior. Acquisition of skills and techniques for participation in the sport of fly fishing is a large portion of the course.
This course is limited to 20 freshman students each year. It is completely full this fall semester; last year half of the students who enrolled were women and half were men. The course has been approved for liberal education credit in the science category at our university because it provides biological and ecological background in addition to introducing basic technical aspects of fly fishing. This means that students who are non-science majors can obtain science credit toward their degree by taking this course.
Students raved about this course the first time it was taught at UMD in the fall of 2000. Please visit the class web page to learn more about the course content and student activities (http://www.d.umn.edu/~rhicks1/angler/index.html).
So, why am I writing to you? Each year we have some needs that the university cannot meet alone. We already have the scientific equipment and materials on hand to instruct the stream ecology aspects of this course. Last year, we were thankful for support from organizations and businesses like St. Croix Rods, Royal Wulff Products, Able, Sage, Cortland, Metz Feathers, Wapsi, Bentley's Outfitters, and the Superior Fly Angler just to name a few of our sponsors. This year, we still need some basic fly fishing and fly tying equipment and supplies to instruct the fly fishing aspects of this course. Won't you join our charter sponsors in supporting this unique university course? I have attached a list of our current needs for your information. If you or your organization could donate some of the equipment on this list, then our university and students will be deeply grateful. All equipment and material donations will be stored at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and used exclusively for this course.
You may send your gift directly to me at the address I have given below. To ensure the greatest impact, I am requesting gifts by late August, 2001. All donations to the University of Minnesota-Duluth are tax deductible contributions. If you will estimate the value of your gift, then I will ensure that our university's Development Office returns a letter acknowledging your gift that you or your organization can use for tax purposes. Rest assured that your gift will help us increase the appreciation of fly fishing as a leisure pursuit for many years to come.
Thank you for any help you can provide our "Northern Stream Ecosystems & the Angler" course. I am striving to maintain an excellent course, which instructs new generations of students in fly fishing, introduces them to the science of streams, instills students with the ethics of conservation and restoration, and lives on into the future. Your help will be greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Randall E. Hicks
Professor & Department Head
Department of Biology
10 University Drive
University of Minnesota-Duluth
Duluth, MN 55812
Tel: (218) 726-7263
Fax: (218) 726-8142
Internet: rhicks@d.umn.edu