Michael Lavoie, EBCI Fisheries and Wildlife Management director, will be the featured speaker at WATR’s (Watershed Association of the Tuckasegee River) on Monday, April 13. A potluck dinner will start at 6pm and the meeting will run from 6:30-8pm at the Ginger Lynn Welch Complex community room.
Lavoie’s topic will be “Cherokee Perspectives on Fish Conservation in the Tuckasegee River Watershed.” This talk is relevant to Swain County with the newly designated delayed-harvest section of the river that flows through Bryson City. Fishermen may find this talk especially worthwhile. This is a public meeting and everyone is invited.
WATR is especially interested in recruiting mature students, fishermen, and biologically curious individuals to help in a biomonitoring project. WATR is assisting LaVoie by sampling for aquatic insects, called macro-invertebrates, above and below Island Park. We are looking for tribal participants to help in this effort which requires a commitment to training and to about two hours of sampling once in the spring and again in the fall. The macro-invert training will be held on Saturday, April 11 from 9:30am – 2:30pm at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Cherokee. Optionally, particpants can choose to collect data beyond the Qualla Boundary. Get more information and sign up via the WATR website.
WATR will be holding its first Fish Snorkeling Adventure in May in the Oconaluftee River. All participants will have a chance to make an underwater video clip. There will be a brief discussion focused on stream stewardship through two possible programs: Adopt a Stream or NC Stream Watch. Member input will be sought.
Info: www.WATRnc.org
