Threats To Native Brook Trout Explained
When: Wednesday, March 26 at 6 pm
Where: Kettle Pond Visitor Center, 50 Bend Road, Charlestown
Who: Brian O’Connor and Paul E. Pezza, founding members of Protect Rhode Island Brook Trout (PRIBT)
What: Brian and Paul’s presentation will explain the urgent need to protect Rhode Island’s threatened wild brook trout populations
Cost: Free
This presentation is sponsored by the Charlestown Land Trust (CLT) and is the third talk in their 2025 Winter Speaker Series. The Land Trust plans more talks and events in the coming months. Check the CLT website for details at https://charlestownlandtrust.org/
Once abundant, these iconic fish now face numerous threats, including habitat degradation, warming waters, outdated dams, and competition from invasive trout species. Learn about ongoing and proposed conservation efforts aimed at preserving brook trout and the cold-water ecosystems they depend on. Brian and Paul bring decades of outdoor experience and advocacy to this discussion, offering insight into the challenges and solutions for safeguarding Rhode Island’s only native wild salmonid.
This is a free event, and everyone is welcome! No pre-registration needed.
The banner image is a photo of a native Brook Trout. There is a bit of a human hand in the upper right for scale. Thanks to PRIBT for the photograph. Charlestown has some cold water streams still that are tributary to the Pawcatuck River. Protecting the forests that surround these streams is critical to keeping their water cold.