Focus to be on area’s fishing heritage and marine conservation efforts
The Sarasota County Libraries and Historical Resources Department is launching a summer lecture series, “offering a deep dive into the area’s fishing heritage and marine conservation efforts,” the department’s staff has announced.
The first program is planned for July 7, a news release says.
The four-part series, titled What a Catch, “will explore the historical and environmental significance of local fisheries,” the release notes. Each lecture, which will be free and open to the public, will be held at 2 p.m. at the Osprey Library, which stands at 337 N. Tamiami Trail in Osprey, the release adds.
The July 7 program will feature “Damon Moore, founder and executive director of Oyster River Ecology Inc., who will present the history of oystering in the Manatee River and discuss restoration efforts related to sustainable oyster harvesting in the region, the release continues.
Additional speakers and dates will be as follows, the release says:
- Aug. 18 — Leiza Fitzgerald of the Coastal Conservation Association on the history of marine habitat conservation.
- Sept. 4 — Hayden Wennerdahl, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), on modern fisheries management.
- Sept. 25 — Josh Goodman, manager of the Sarasota County History Center, on the role of tarpon fishing in promoting Sarasota County in the early to mid-20th century.
“Registration is highly encouraged,” the release points out. It will open three weeks before each event, the release adds.
To register or learn more, visit SarasotaCountyLibraries.org or call 941-861-1110.