“Getting kids involved is actually one of the hardest things,” Cordero said. “The Department of Health and Welfare is severely understaffed, so contacting case managers or supervisors is difficult. They just don’t have the time.” Using some of her contacts with foster families through the Idaho Relative as Parents (IRAP) program, a voluntary guardianship program that avoids the court system, Cordero found families and kids who were interested in the program and brought the Boise project online. Rob Griggs was guiding a fly fishing trip early last summer when he heard about the Mayfly Project. His client that day was Cordero and her son, and she was effusive about the upcoming launch. Fly fishing is as much an art as a sport and most devotees love to share the magic. When asked if he would consider teaching a casting class for the youth, Griggs agreed. “I tell you I fell in love with the program instantly,” Griggs said. “I was just supposed to be a guest, teaching basic casting techniques, but that first day, it just pulled at my heart.” The youth in the program weren’t like his usual clients — dressed in top-of-theline waders and vests and carrying brand new bespoke rods. “These kids aren’t entering the fishing world from that level and I wanted to be part of that,” said Griggs, who is now one of 22 mentors involved in Boise’s program. “Hopefully, we’re able to plant a seed for fly fishing that they can do for the rest of their lives, even if it’s not right away. We want them to know that even when the world seems bad, we can go outside, go fish, and see the world from that perspective.” With nearly two dozen mentors involved in the program, the kids often have a two-to-one mentor ratio, allowing them to receive full attention and instruction during the five sessions. “They went out of their way to spend direct attention with each kid and literally spent hours with them each day,” said Loucendy Ball, a foster parent who had two kids take part in last year’s project. “Both my kids were so glad once they were in it and saw how much the mentors cared.”
The Mayfly Project A national organization introduces foster children to fly fishing
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BY MICAH DREW
here is a scene in Norman Maclean’s classic book “A River Runs Through It,” in which the author and his brother talk about their brother-in-law. When the author asks whether they should help said relative, BACK ROW — LEFT TO RIGHT, ROB GRIGGS, JESSICA ALLEN, CHRIS ISELEY, MAC CHRISTIAN, KIMBERLY CORDERO; FRONT ROW — KRIS REHN, JEREMY SANDERS / PHOTO BY TREG GORRINGE his brother says, “Yes, I thought we were going to.” mind is distracted with a completely “The child welfare system is huge,” “How?” I asked. different task that doesn’t require critical Cordero said. “These kids interface with “By takingCordero him fishing with thinking,” said. “It’sus.” about the therapists, with the court, with guard“I’ve just told you,” I said, “He rhythm and the movement of doesn’t fly fishing.” ians, with community groups like the like to fish.” “You have to be paying attention to Boys and Girls Club, with their schools. “Maybe so,” my brother replied.added. “But your surroundings,” Barnhart We’re just one piece in that system. maybe what at he bugs, likes ismaking somebody “Looking suretrying you’reto It’s not intended to be a lifetime bond help him.” fishing the right part of the water, between mentors and mentees; we’re As the author act ofwhat’s takingin watching everyinfers, inch the of line, focused on building a bond between the someone fishing can be used as a doorway front and behind you,” Barnhart said. mentees, fly fishing, and nature.” the opportunity to connect and support on to all those different things Nature has long been known to increase to“Holding yourself and others. in your head makes it really hard to fomental wellbeing and overall health, A similar ethos is at play with The where cus on other things in life. That’s and more recently, interactions with the Mayfly Project (TMP), a national the outdoors are used as therapeutic interven- we really see a big transition innonprofit that uses flyon fishing as youthorganization — they’re so focused fishing, tions. A 2019 study in Scientific Reports a catalyst to mentor children in the foster they forget to worry.” showed that 120 minutes of contact with care“If system, introducing them to local you want any other proof of how nature each week significantly increases watersheds and helping them develop a the program works, I mean, just look the likelihood of self-reporting good connection thethey outdoors. at their behaviorswith when show health and high wellbeing, and a recently deeper This summer, a group of Boise-area up,” Cordero said. “If you can get a kid published study of youths in a foster care will be intoand theyou order involved in inducted an activity, canof system that used forest healing programs youth fisherfolk in the second round of the see them beaming and smiling andlocal over a three-day period showed signifchapter of The Project. laughing and Mayfly engaging with people in icant overall increase in interpersonal “Our Boise project is one our absolute a positive manner, I thinkofthat’s all the relationship for the participants. favorite sites,” said TMP co-founder Kaitproof you need.” “We know that it’s really hard to stay lyn Barnhart, who lives in northern Idaho. on a negative train of thought, what we To find out more, visit the website — https:// “They’ve turned it into exactly what it was call a ruminating thought, when your themayflyproject.com/boise-idaho-project meant to be.” ROB GRIGGS / PHOTO BY KIMBERLY CORDERO www.idahomemagazine.com
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