June Chapter Meeting

Please join us at Pizzeria Serio for our June meeting. Jake Lemmon, TU Monitoring and Community Service Manager, will provide us with an overview of Trout Unlimited’s Coaster Brook Trout Initiative. This is an initiative that EDTU has donated funds to support.

Jake joined TU in 2011 and has 13 years of experience in facilitating stakeholder groups, designing and implementing monitoring efforts, and communicating technical information to the public. Jake holds a BS in Environmental Science from the University of Indiana and is based in Rockford, MI.

Coasters are a life history variation of brook trout that spend part of their lives in Lake Superior. Historically Coasters were abundant in Lake Superior’s coastal waters. Unfortunately, overfishing and habitat degradation from 19th century logging practices reduced populations until they were considered “fished out” by 1865 in Lake Superior waters near Marquette. Ongoing habitat degradation, overfishing, and the introduction of non-native species furthered their decline throughout their range in the subsequent 150+ years. In 2023, TU designated the Coaster brook trout range in Southern Lake Superior as a Shared Priority Water.  Since then, TU has begun the Coaster Brook Trout Imitative, an effort to catalyze collaborative action and focus toward the rehabilitation of these unique fish.

About Our Regular Chapter Meetings:

• When: First Tuesday of the month, unless disrupted by a major conflict or holiday.
• Location in Cold Months: Pizzeria Serio, 1708 W. Belmont, Chicago. We're proud to rent out the entire upstairs event space for a cozy and exclusive experience.
• Directions: Upon entering the main dining area of Pizzeria Serio, take the stairs on the left to reach our private second-floor space.
• Parking: Plenty of street parking is available on Belmont and side streets. Reminder: Do not park on the north side of Belmont before 6:00 p.m.
• Agenda: 6:00 pm: Social Hour - A warm setting where attendees reminisce, share fishing tales, discuss conservation, and more. 6:45 pm: Dinner - Delight in a buffet that boasts a salad, Pizzeria Serio's renowned brick oven pizza, and other treats. The cost stands at $30 per person. ~7:15 pm: Guest speaker and presentation.

Our chapter meetings aim to foster camaraderie, knowledge sharing, and a shared passion for fishing and conservation. We hope to see you soon!