Elm Fork Chapter January General Meeting – Common Freshwater Fish of North Texas

After a short business meeting, Mike Petrick of the Blackland Prairie Chapter will present “Common Freshwater Fish of North Texas”. Mike will cover the basics of fish anatomy, the ways fish use their senses, and how to identify some of the most common fish found in the rivers and lakes of North Texas. He will also recommend resources that can be used to identify fish.

After graduating from Angelo State University, Mike taught in San Angelo for 18 years and in Lewisville for 20 years. During the last eight years of his teaching career, he taught outdoor education, including orienteering (a sport where competitors find their way to checkpoints using a map and compass), hunting and boating safety, fishing, camping, and Dutch oven cooking at Huffines Middle School in Lewisville.

While teaching outdoor education, Mike became a Texas Parks and Wildlife Angler Education Area Chief, allowing him to certify fishing instructors for public schools.After retiring, Mike became a Texas Master Naturalist with the Class of 2011 and began going on bird walks and field trips. This lead him to a new love of birds, and he has since become an avid birder and bird photographer. He has been able to combine his love of fish, birds, photography, and teaching by volunteering as a trail guide at Lake Lewisville Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) and The Heard Refuge. He also volunteers at the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge as a tram tour guide and helps with the weekly bird census there.  Register at link below