Join us at Yahara Lakes 101 to learn about important issues impacting our lakes!
Madison’s lakes are famous for excellent fishing. A thriving population of large game fish for anglers to catch is dependent upon the small fishes that live near the shore and serve as prey. But what happens when the diversity of nearshore small fishes declines?
Over the last 50-100 years, many small species of fish have declined significantly or even disappeared. In this month’s Yahara Lakes 101 talk, we’ll hear from Dr. John Lyons of the UW-Madison Zoological Museum about how water quality impacts diversity of small fishes, why it’s important, and what we can do to help.
Dr. John Lyons describes himself as a life-long fish nerd. From the time he was a boy, Lyons has been passionate about watching, catching, keeping, and studying fish. He likes to cook and eat them too. In his professional career, Lyons has worked on ichthyology (the study of fishes), fisheries management, and aquatic conservation.
Lyons is currently the Curator of Fishes at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Zoological Museum, a position he has held since 1985. From 1985 until his retirement in 2017, Lyons also served as a Fisheries Research Scientist and Supervisor for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where he studied ways to protect fishes and their habitats and to improve fishing around the state. Lyons holds his PhD and M.S. in Zoology from UW-Madison and his B.S. in Biology from Union College, Schenectady, NY all with a focus on fish.
This event is at The Edgewater. Come at 7:30 a.m. for a meet-and-greet and to enjoy your coffee, pastries, and fruit. The program begins at 8 a.m., and class is dismissed by 9 a.m. Complimentary event parking will be available at The Edgewater.
Admission is FREE for Friends of Clean Lakes. If you are not a Friend, admission is $10 per event. Registration for each event is requested for all attendees.
Yahara Lakes 101 is a series of educational events open to the public and a great chance for residents to learn more about the science behind the issues that affect our lakes. Each month we feature a different expert to make the science accessible and interesting to non-technical audiences.
The series is produced in partnership with the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, with presenting sponsors First Weber Foundation and Johnson Financial Group, hosting sponsor The Edgewater Madison, supporting sponsor National Guardian Life Insurance Company, and media partner the Isthmus.