Information and Education
The Gila River Basin Native Fishes Conservation Program (Program) is continuously looking for opportunities to increase the public’s awareness of the
value of native fish and the problems that introduced non-native fish have on the conservation and recovery of these native species. Over the years, the Program has
supported a wide variety of outreach initiatives and activities, including school curriculums, training workshops, short films, field guides, and outreach materials.
Below are a few notable examples of Information and Education projects funded under the Program.
- 1999 - 2003: The Program provided funding to the Arizona Game and Fish Department to develop native fish conservation videos, brochures, posters, trinkets, school educational materials, and teaching workshops.
- 2008 - 2011: The Program funded Marsh and Associates, LLC to develop and implement an early-age elementary school program that focused on Arizona native fish and their recovery. This educational program became known as Sharing Tails and educated 33,285 students during the funding period. Sharing Tails is now independently funded by the not-for-profit Marsh Education; however, additional funding was provided by the Program for 2021 - 2023.
- 2019 - 2021: The Program provided funding to help support the New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office’s Native Fish in the Classroom program. This educational program provided local elementary and middle school students with the opportunity to raise native fish in their classroom and learn about the ecology, biology, and conservation of native fish and their habitats. The curriculum was initially focused on native fishes of the Middle Rio Grande; however, it expanded to the Gila River basin with funding assistance from the Program.
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