A UWindsor biology professor will discuss his efforts to support wild fish species struggling to survive when a community-based group dedicated to cleaning up the Detroit River meets on Wednesday night.

Trevor Pitcher will be the keynote speaker when the Detroit River Canadian Cleanup group hosts its second annual Detroit River Evening. An associate professor in Biological Sciences, Dr. Pitcher studies natural fish breeding practices in order to mimic them in the lab. His goal is to support fish restocking initiatives by creating genetically superior fish that have greater chances of survival when they are released in to the wild.

The cleanup group is a community-based partnership initiated in 1998 to enhance, restore and sustain the Detroit River ecosystem. Its aim is to promote and implement a remedial action plan to restore the river's beneficial uses, with the ultimate goal of removing it from the list of Great Lakes Areas of Concern.

The meeting will be held June 20 at 6:30 p.m. in the community room at LaSalle’s Riverdance Park, located near the corner of Front Road and Laurier Drive. The event will also include an informal tour of the facilities and an update on the group’s progress over the last year.

Space is limited and registration is required. For more information, contact Natalie Green at green@detroitriver.ca or at 519-982-3722.