Sustaining Maine’s Native Brook Trout Lecture

Sustaining Maine’s Native Brook Trout Lecture

Learn about these colorful fish that support food, recreation, and healthy stream ecosystems in our state

 Did you know Maine is home to the greatest abundance of native wild Brook Trout in the United States? The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust (KELT) and the Merrymeeting Bay chapter of Trout Unlimited are delighted to host Merry Gallagher for a free zoom lecture about these important cold-water fish and efforts across the state to sustain them.  Merry Gallagher has been central to Maine’s brook trout conservation efforts for many years as a Native Fish Conservation Biologist at the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.  This virtual lecture will take place on Thursday February 23^rd at 6pm.

Registration is free and required in order to receive the Zoom link for the presentation. For more information and to sign-up, visit KELT’s website at www.kennebecestuary.org/upcoming-events or call (207) 442-8400.

The program will introduce us to brook trout’s life cycle, differences between coastal and inland populations, population changes over time, population threats, and monitoring that the state and volunteers have been carrying out to better understand and support these fish.  These special fish are the only native trout species that inhabit the cold, clear streams of m

uch of the eastern United States, and they are prized by anglers. Participants are welcomed and encouraged to ask questions during the Q&A portion of the lecture. 

According to the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture (easternbrooktrout.org), Maine is the only state with extensive intact populations of wild, self-reproducing brook trout in lakes and ponds and is also the last true stronghold for stream dwelling populations of wild brook trout. Unable to thrive in poor water quality or degraded habitats, wild brook trout are excellent indicators of clean water and healthy aquatic systems.

The Kennebec Estuary Land Trust is a membership supported organization dedicated to conserving and restoring the land, water, and wildlife of the Kennebec Estuary.  It maintains twelve preserves for public enjoyment and has protected 4,100+ acres of land since founding in 1989. FMI visit www.kennebecestuary.org or call (207) 442-8400. 

The Merrymeeting Bay Chapter of Trout Unlimited promotes the growth of our sportfishing community for fun and environmental conservation. It collaborates with conservation, sporting, and governmental groups on education and critical habitat projects. FMI visit mmbtu.org.