This teacher couldn't answer a question, so he had to change the school. As reported in Sheila Moody's article last month in the San Francisco Chronicle, in1982, Tom Furrer was a new teacher at Petaluma's Casa Grande High School. During a class discussion about endangered species, the kids wanted to know what they could do. He couldn't answer the question, and it bothered him all weekend.

He thought a walk by Adobe Creek, across from the school, might clear his head; but it didn't help much. Its water had been diverted, and people had thrown trash around. He met a neighbor, Charlie Malnati, further up the creek, trying to create a little pool of water to save a few tiny steelhead trout. He helped Malnati move the fish to a safer place upstream.

He had his answer. He went back Monday morning and told the kids if they were really concerned, they'd have to help restore Adobe Creek. They decided to form, with him, the United Anglers of Casa Grande and the group adopted Adobe Creek. They cleaned up the litter people had thrown around. They took willow cuttings from around the creek, and in an unused school greenhouse, grew them into young trees. Then they planted them along the creek. They persuaded the town to stop diverting water away.They even built a fish hatchery. They were delighted to find that they didn't need to artificially propagate the fish: the fish came back.

Now 25 years later the hatchery is used to help the salmon. The program has been recognized by the federal government, and was visited by Jane Goodall on one of her trips here. Twenty new students a year are accepted. The program has produced environmental lawyers, firefighters, science teachers, and a stem cell scientist. A former student runs the salmon hatchery near the Feather River, largest hatchery in the state.

Furrer says anybody can do it, anywhere. See www.uacg.org