Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas — Service projects and educational opportunities for Banita and Lanana creeks are part of the itinerary for the Texas Chapter of American Fisheries Society’s annual meeting Feb. 22-24 at The Fredonia Hotel.
The American Fisheries Society is made up of fisheries managers, biologists, professors, ecologists and other professionals who promote scientific research and sustainable management of fisheries resources. The Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society is focused on the conservation, development and wise utilization of recreational and commercial fisheries, as well as the exchange and dissemination of knowledge about fish, fisheries and related subjects.
Many sessions will be held throughout the conference, including an introduction to geographic information system software and scholarly presentations from SFA biology students.
Two outreach projects will be conducted in Nacogdoches by conference attendees: a tour and fish sampling event at the Banita Creek Preserve, and an inaugural service project to clean local waterways led by Dr. Carmen Montaña, SFA assistant professor of biology.
“We are very excited that, for first time, the annual TCAFS meeting is in Nacogdoches, the heart of the Texas Forest Country ecoregion,” said Montaña. “We welcome everyone to this event and look forward to outreach activities hosted by SFA’s Department of Biology. This is the first year that our annual meeting will have a service project where we’ll be leading the cleanup of Lanana Creek in partnership with Keep Nacogdoches Beautiful.”
The conference also will include training workshops, a chapter business meeting, technical committee meetings and a symposium with sessions consisting of an anticipated 50 scientific presentations. Academic scholarships to the society’s future fisheries professionals will also be awarded.
For more information about the conference, visit gosfa.com/tcafs. For information about SFA’s aquatic biology concentration, visit sfasu.edu/biology.