Longtime fisheries biologist Jim Herrig will speak Thursday, March 8, at a free, public meeting of the Clinch River Chapter, Trout Unlimited, about the background and interpretation of three short aquatic films financed by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and produced by Freshwaters Illustrated.

The films highlight work being done on restoration of hellbenders, restoration of Southern Appalachian Brook Trout, and aquatic conservation through freshwater snorkeling.

Youngsters participating in the Great Smoky Mountains Trout Adventure Camp have experienced the freshwater snorkeling program introduced by Herrig—snorkeling in Little River above Townsend is a regular activity at the annual camp.

Herrig’s program will start at 7 p.m. on March 8 in the parish hall of St. Francis Episcopal Church, 158 W. Norris Road, Norris.

Herrig, now retired from USFS, serves as secretary of the Tennessee Council of Trout Unlimited. He holds a master of science degree in fisheries science from Colorado State University; he has worked as a biologist for South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks, and in national forests including several in Colorado, Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky, and for many years in Tennessee’s Cherokee National Forest.

Clinch River Chapter TU works to preserve and protect the Clinch River tailwater and its watershed through conservation projects and through education of children and adults in aquatic natural resources. For more information, visit http://crctu.org.