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“I caught one!” shouted 11-year-old Diego. “I got a fish too,” exclaimed Alan, a first-time fisherman at the age of 10. The lucky new anglers were participants in the second annual Cops and Bobbers fishing event held as part of the Elizabeth Urban Wildlife Refuge Partnership. A partnership between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Elizabeth (New Jersey) Police Department (P.D.), the event brought together children between the ages of nine to thirteen to learn how to fish and take part in other outdoor recreational activities.
Service staff from the Lenape National Wildlife Refuge Complex brought their Reels on Wheels (R.O.W.) trailer, stocked with fishing gear and bait, to Warinanco Park in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Service staff have brought the mobile trailer to events in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and surrounding areas to introduce catch-and-release fishing to members of underserved and underrepresented communities. Partnerships with local organizations, such as Groundwork Elizabeth (Groundwork), and the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA), were the foundation for the relationship between the Service and the Elizabeth P.D. Members of Groundwork, guided by Mayor’s Youth Council Leader Ashly Ramos, and NWRA, represented by Community Engagement Specialist Lucy Crespo, visited Warinanco Park in advance and cleared the site of litter and prepared it for the day’s activities.
The Elizabeth P.D. brought the participants, those being youth that are attending the Police Athletic League’s Youth Life Skills and Recreation Day Program for the summer. Some of the attendees had participated in the first Cops and Bobbers event in 2023, but for many of the children, this was their first time doing something hands-on in nature. Officer Anthony Jackson of the Elizabeth P.D., activity coordinator for the Police Athletic League’s Summer Camp, shared that their “goal with this event is to give them experience fishing…we’ve got 50 kids here, more than half of them have never been fishing.” It is Officer Jackson’s hope that this won’t be their last experience enjoying the outdoors through fishing. Warinanco Park’s “not far from where they live, it’s somewhere they can come and go fishing with their parents.”
The summer campers had the opportunity to learn how to fish from experienced anglers, including those from the Service and officers with the Elizabeth P.D. Some youths were successful right from the start, with participant Genesis sharing that she “caught seven fish today, it was fun!” Others, such as fellow camper Camila, took a little longer to catch her first fish. With a little determination and assistance from Service staff Summer Malone and Jason Vassallo, Camila was able to successfully reel in a nice-sized bluegill.
The fun didn’t end with the fishing, as attendees were also able to participate in archery lessons, using the Service’s mobile Hoverball and Stick-It archery targets. Led by Service staff Stephanie Menendez and intern Mary Weiss, as well as high school and college-aged youth from Groundwork’s Mayor’s Youth Council, the summer campers had the chance to knock a floating ball down off its perch and hit a bullseye on an inflatable target. In addition to catching three fish during the day, camper Dalvin told Service staff that his “favorite part was the archery”.
The event ended early that afternoon, with all participants having had successfully reeled in a fish, participated in archery, and enjoyed a grilled lunch courtesy of the Elizabeth P.D. “This event is one of my favorite programs that we do each year, and I can’t wait for the next one” shared Service staff member Jared Green. The third annual Cops and Bobbers event planned for 2025 should be even better, with additional activities scheduled and more youth campers signed up to participate.
