Volunteering with Kiap-TU-Wish
Help our chapter grow and thrive.A Few Can’t Do it All – We Need YOU!
Kiap-TU-Wish is a grassroots organization that prides itself as being one of the top Trout Unlimited Chapters in the country. This pride begins with all of our member volunteers that contribute to the efforts of our chapter. From stream restoration projects, to community outreach, to grant writing and fundraising events, to fund these activities – it all starts with our volunteers.
By donating just a few hours each month, you can help our chapter sustain and remain the vibrant organization that it is.
We always could use extra help with stream rehab projects, winter work days, fundraising, community outreach, newsletter and web site articles – just to name a few. And best of all, you don’t need any special skills to help our chapter. Just the desire and some time.
So if you’d like to volunteer, contact us at info@kiaptuwish.org and don’t forget to sign up for our volunteer mail list below.
“I love being a member and volunteering with Kiap-TU-Wish.
They get stuff done!”
~ Chapter Member
Kiap-TU-Wish Volunteer Opportunities
Conservation Banquet
The Kiap-TU-Wish Conservation Banquet is the chapter’s largest fundraiser. Volunteer opportunities range from the banquet committee to set-up/tear-down, raffle ticket greeters and auction items.
The banquet usually takes place in December around the time of the holidays, and doesn’t require much time commitment
Please contact one of our board members or email us at info@kiaptuwish.org.
Habitat Work Days
Our habitat workdays typically involve various activities at sites where we are doing a stream restoration project during the spring and summer months, or in the winter we may brush and burn streamside invasives.
A typical work day is usually conducted on a Saturday morning. Sometimes food and beverage may be provided.
From time-to-time we also will participate in Earth Day stream clean-up days on the Rush and Kinnickinnic rivers.
Please contact Randy Arnold, Volunteer Coordinator for Kiap-TU-Wish at: volunteer@kiaptuwish.org.
You can also sign up to be on the workday email list by clicking the button on this page and entering your information.
Grant Writing
Kiap-TU-Wish gets most of its funds for stream restoration projects by writing numerous grant proposals to various public, private, and governmental organizations. Most grants awarded are from $1,000 to $25,000. Most restoration projects range from $75,000 to $250,000 in total cost.
Grant writing isn’t necessarily hard, but it does take quite a bit of time for each project. Our chapter typically does one project at a time, and each project typically takes from
1-3 years to accomplish.
If you have any grant writing experience (or would like to learn), please contact one of our board members or email us at info@kiaptuwish.org.
Fly Fishing Clinic
Every summer, Kiap-TU-Wish sponsors and runs a fly fishing clinic dedicated to teaching the art of fly fishing for those that are 12 years of age and older. This clinic is typically at a stream side location in River Falls and the surrounding area.
To be successful, two things need to happen: We need to have good discussion as the topics are presented and we need a group of mentors to provide expertise throughout the day. It would be great if we had eight or more volunteers.
If you have an interest and want to discuss how you may help, please contact one of our board members or email us at info@kiaptuwish.org.
Spring Appeal
The Hap Lutter Memorial Spring appeal is one of our chapter’s major fundraisers. The Spring appeal is the annual mailer sent to all members and friends of Kiap-TU-Wish asking for donations.
Volunteering needs for the Spring appeal consists of a variety of things from writing the letter, to design of the letter and envelope, coordination of the mail list and printing, to stamp licking. Not hard work, but work none the less. This is just one way you can help our chapter with a little bit of your time.
If you are interested, please contact one of our board members or email us at info@kiaptuwish.org.
Chapter Website, Newsletter and Social Media
Kiap-TU-Wish sends out an almost monthly printed newsletter called “RipRap,” and has a robust Website, Newsletter, Facebook and Instagram page. We need volunteers to write articles, poetry, art and photography submissions—just to name a few skills.
Our chapter is always looking for:
Story contributors
- Social media contributors
- Photography
- Art and photography
- Graphic design
- Web editors
- Stamp lickers for RipRap
- Help with the mailing list
If you have any of these skills and would like to contribute, please contact one of our board members or email us at info@kiaptuwish.org.
Trout in the Classroom
TIC allows students to grow trout from eggs to fingerlings. Along the way, students learn important lessons about water quality, stream habitat, conservation, and ecosystem connectivity, regardless of whether they are fly fishers or not. Teachers have included it into almost every subject in school, from using math to calculate how much food to give the young fry, to teaching English composition by writing essays on conservation issues affecting trout habitat.
Caring for the fish (raised in classrooms) fosters a conservation ethic in the students, and the act of walking to a stream bank and directly releasing the fingerlings into the water makes a concrete connection between caring for the fish and caring for the water.
If you would like to help out with Trout in the Classroom, please contact one of our board members or email us info@kiaptuwish.org.
Restoring Cady Creek’s Brook Trout Population
Restoring Cady Creek’s Brook Trout Population by Managing the Eau Galle River Watershed - PART 2 Kasey Yallaly Back in 2020, I wrote an article about our brook trout restoration efforts in Cady Creek. If you dig this article up from the archives, you will see that we...
Maintenance Committee Meetings
Maintenance Committee Meeting with WDNR 11/27/23 Kasey Yallaly, Nate Anderson, Tom Schnadt, Randy Arnold, Missie Hanson, Scott Wagner The committee reports that the four-year Maintenance Plan on prior habitat projects are mostly up-to-date with the following...
Auction Items Needed
Calling all Kiap-TU-Wish Members! We need Silent Auction items for our chapter’s Annual Online Fundraiser, which will be ending February 18th. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year and raises over half of the funds needed for our chapter’s...
ERO Report 2023
An assessment of Elevated Riparian Optimization (ERO) structures on the South Fork of the Kinni, Hay Creek, and Cady Creek, 5-years post installation By Loren Haas Hungry water is copious amounts of water not heavily laden with silt which provides extra...
Check Back Often
Check back often for the latest activities, restoration projects and call to action alerts for our chapter. Don’t forget to sign up for emails regarding the latest news and work day notices.
Did you know?
Kiap-TU-Wish volunteers contributed
over 4,000 volunteer hours last year.
Restoration Projects:
The Red Cabin Site
In 2012 the Wisconsin DNR purchased a 2.5 acre parcel immediately downstream from the bridge on North River Road, which is northeast of River Falls and straight south of Roberts. Also referred to as “the Red Cabin Site,” a old red cabin on the site was removed and a parking lot was created by the DNR. As of August 2014, Kiap-TU-Wish is in the process of completing the project which will improve the fish and insect habitat in approx. 1,700 feet of this part of the upper Kinni. This site is level and fairly open, so it will be easy to walk by persons with limited mobility. The DNR owns one side of the river; they hold a fishing and hunting easement on the other side and for about a mile downstream.