More than 200 years ago, the entire of state of Pennsylvania was forested. By the 1930s, the whole state had been completely logged. Today, Pennsylvania is a reforested trout wonderland—it has more miles of trout streams than any state other than Alaska.
But, for native brook trout, all is not well. The state’s forest are single-aged and they lack diversity. The introduction of non-native brown and rainbow trout have taken a toll on native fish. Acid rain is still an issue, and the threat of increased oil and gas drilling still looms.
Stories from the Fountain: A Native Brook Trout Odyssey from Matteo Moretti on Vimeo.
The film above, inspired by TU’s Five Rivers Odyssey program, explores the challenges faced by brookies in Pennsylvania and how to best improve their habitat, protect existing brook trout watershedsand restore them to their native waters in the years to come. Much has been done, as you’ll see in the film. But there’s a lot left to do.
Check it out.
— Chris Hunt