The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary sponsored a fun program in conjunction with Candlewood Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter 309 on Thursday, May 29.

The focus of the local chapter of Trout Unlimited is on youth education and conservation projects on the Pootatuck River and Deep Brook in Newtown. Trout Unlimited also works with community service organizations such as the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary.

Trout Unlimited puts major emphasis on creating sustainable fisheries of wild and native trout, as well as educational experiences to help teach the public about rivers and the various forms of life within them.

The stream study participants were given the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Pootatuck River and the creatures within as they waded in and used scoop nets to capture and then identify river-based life.

A sense of excitement coursed through the group when a crawdad was captured in one of the nets.

Among the comments noted by the participants were, “I had no idea that there was so much hidden life in a river,” and, “This is one of the most exciting things I’ve done this spring.”