If you're interested in an A-to-Z primer on the Gila trout, plan on attending the Western Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL) Lunch and Learn session on Wednesday, July 24th, when Eric Head, the Gila Trout Project Manager for Trout Unlimited, will speak on that subject.
Head will be giving a presentation putting the Gila trout into its historic and geographic context. He will start with a conversation about the geology that created the unique land forms of the Gila, including the super volcanoes, massive earthquakes, and ice age lakes that built up and carved out the remarkable Gila landscape. He will then move on to what we know about the evolutionary and geographic history of the Gila Trout itself, starting just before the Pleistocene Ice Age to its recent split from the closely related Apache trout. He will end with some words about modern dangers such as wildfire and invasive species and the restoration work in the Gila Forest to combat these challenges and increase Gila Trout numbers.
According to Head, he has been interested in fish since his aunt gave him a 10-gallon aquarium for his 9th birthday. "By the time I was 13," he said, " I had five tanks going and was selling the fish I had spawned back to the local pet store." Before beginning his college education, he worked on stream restoration as a volunteer with Americorps, then as a professional, and also did contract consulting work for his father's forestry consulting business. He also led snorkeling trips and did some scuba diving in the Florida Keys.
A native of the Pacific Northwest, Head holds two Bachelors of Science degrees from Portland State University; one in earth science and one in geology. He also completed a Master's degree in geology at Northern Arizona University.
Head lives in Silver City with his wife, Heather, and can frequently be found playing trombone at local jazz jams.
The presentation will be held from noon to 1:30 pm in the ABC classroom in the Besse-Forward Global Resources Center on the Western New Mexico University campus, located at the corner of 12th and Kentucky streets.
Bring lunch and eat as you listen, if you'd like.