Next Generation Potomac River

The Next Generation of Conservationists

--By B. Dan Berger, Cabins, WV

She may be only 3 1/2-years old but she can cast her little light blue
“Dora the Explorer” fishing rod a good twenty feet. How do I know?
Because I occasionally hear the weighted red plastic minnow at the
end of her line loudly whack the window of the front door of our small
home on the river. It makes me proud and cringe at the same time. I
run out of the house and gently turn her around and encourage her to
cast AWAY from the house, and I go back and sneakily inspect the
window for cracks.

My wife Aimee and I have been taking
our daughter Shelby to the North Fork
of the South Branch in West Virginia since
she was in the womb. We strongly believe
children these days have too many toys,
computer and video games, and of course,
face-time in front of the television.
Let me be clear, we too are guilty of all
theabove. But we also make a concerted
effort to balance it all by spending a lot
of time in the great outdoors that our Creator has graciously provided
us.

Since moving from Florida to the Washington, DC area seven years
ago, we have been coming to the beautiful Monongahela National
Forest, staying several times a year in the beautiful cabins at Harman’
s. Now that we have been blessed with our own home just a couple
miles up from Harman’s, we spend as much time out of the big city as
possible.

Shelby will come with me to the river
and fish for a few minutes and then
quickly become distracted by all the
fantastically smooth stones and river-rocks
under her feet. She will throw them into
river until it is time to go. By the way, trout
are NOT attracted to the splashing sounds
of a child’s Roger Clemens-like fastball.

She will stand with me in the middle of the river and reel in the line
on my rod. Unafraid, she will gently inspect, touch and hold the trout
or smallmouth bass we have caught in these Potomac headwaters
prior to us releasing it. And then she will quickly turn around and walk
noisily through the water to shore and start whipping stones into the
river that would even impress the Boston Red Sox. We are thinking
collegiate softball scholarship.

And when we do watch television together, Shelby loves the ESPN
fishing shows as well as the various episodes on animals or the
incredible outdoor destinations on Discovery Channel. We talk to her
regularly about the importance of enjoying the outdoors but also the
necessity for its conservation. Proudly, she will point out when she
sees litter and claim loudly, “not a very nice person has littered our
mountains.” We pick up the trash and throw into the bed of my truck.

As adults, we have a responsibility to expose our young children to
as many things as possible. And that includes not just learning the
alphabet or counting numbers, but learning about the outdoors. One
of my favorite memories is watching my daughter joyfully chase
fireflies, and occasionally, be successful in catching one. Gently
inspecting the pulsating-lighted insect, then letting it go. Can’t do that
in front of a television.

We regularly visit Dolly Sods and drive through Smoke Hole Canyon,
and she is impressed every time as if it was her first trip. Pointing out
all the trees, plants, rocks, streams, cliffs, waterfalls and long-range
views. She absorbs it all in. As do her parents.

Although many of us volunteer and contribute to several important
conservation organizations, we all must take the extra step and teach
our children about the environment. So, turn off the computer or
television and take your children or grandchildren fishing. You and
they will create terrific memories together, and get this, they will fall in
love with the outdoors and develop an appreciation for the beautiful
world around them. And you can proudly know that you have helped to
create the next generation of conservationists.

Dan Berger is a lifelong outdoorsman and avid flyfisherman. He and his
family split time between Cabins, WV and Alexandria, VA