Trout Unlimited (TU) is the nation's leading coldwater fisheries conservation organization. TU's mission is: "Conserving, protecting, and restoring North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds." TU is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
I've been a member of TU for approximately 20+ years. I joined back when the beginnings of environmental enlightenment began to awake in me. I was spending a lot of time out in the woods and on the water fishing and was starting to see problems stemming from pollution and destruction of aquatic habitat. I wanted to give something back for all that I had enjoyed - and TU was the way I found to do this.
TU has a national office based in Arlington, VA comprised of leading experts in areas such as fisheries science, fluvial geomorphology, hydrology, aquatic entomology, environmental law, fundraising, and so forth. At the local level, TU is organized into local chapters - which is where a tremendous amount of local, on-the-ground conservation work takes place - restoring and protecting the habitat of trout and salmon across the country. Each state has a State Council of Trout Unlimited which is an umbrella for all of the local chapters in that state.
These days, I am a member, but when I first started out in TU, I spent a heck of a lot of time volunteering for the organization. I managed several programs for the local Northern Virginia Chapter, including the Mossy Creek Stream Restoration Project, the Four Mile Run Stream Improvement Project, I served on the Chapter Banquet fundraising committee, the Board of Directors, I was one of two founders of a chapter weekend conservation and fishing camp for kids in partnership with 4-H. Eventually I served a term as the Chapter's President. I also served terms at the State Council level as a Vice President, and eventually a term as the State Council Chairman.
All of this led me to a stint working for the national TU organization as a paid professional staffer. I worked for the national office from 1990 - 1995 as the manager of the shipping department, then Grassroots Coordinator, and eventually the title of Region III Director for membership recruitment and fundraising - a position I did not want and was used to force me off the staff by someone who did not like me because at the time I had no college degrees.
TU's membership is primarily comprised of environmentally concerned anglers. A large chunk of TU's membership is fly fishers.
You too can join TU and support our important work:
http://www.tu.org/site/c.kkLRJ7MSKtH/b.3884965/ read more