“SALTER SATURDAY” TO CELEBRATE, SPOTLIGHT NEW LIFE FOR MAINE’S SEA-RUN BROOK TROUT
FREE EVENT IN FREEPORT
“SALTER SATURDAY” TO CELEBRATE, SPOTLIGHT NEW LIFE FOR MAINE’S SEA-RUN BROOK TROUT
“Salter” Book Launch and Reading, River Walk,
Updates on State-Wide Conservation Projects
Saturday, October 17, 2026, 1:00 – 4:00 pm, Freeport Community Center, 53 Depot Street, Freeport
River Walk at 10 am at Frost Gully Brook
FREEPORT, ME, September, 2026 – Maine’s native sea-run brook trout, which spend part of their lives in salt water before returning to coastal freshwater rivers to spawn, will be spotlighted and celebrated at a full day event including a book launch, a river walk outing, presentations, and networking sponsored by the Merrymeeting Bay Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
The public is invited to attend the free “Salter Saturday” from 1:00 – 4:00 pm on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at the Freeport Community Center, 63 Depot Street, Freeport, ME.
Event highlights include:
- Tom Pero reading from his new book “Salter,” published by Wild River Press and the first comprehensive book ever written about sea-run brook trout;
- Presentation by Francis Smith about the restoration of Quashnet River on Cape Cod;
- A panel discussion including Merry Gallagher, biologist with Maine IFW Maine and TU members including Nate Hicks discussing sea-run trout river projects in Maine; and
- Table top presentations by TU chapters from across Maine showcasing their conservation projects.
River Walk
“Salter Saturday” will kick-off at 10 am with a free walk along Frost Gully Brook to view former dam sites removed by MMBTU in partnership the Freeport Conservation Trust and that enables the return of sea-run brook trout to downtown Freeport. The walk is hosted by Nate Hicks and Matt Streeter, Professional Consultant to Environmental Organizations and immediate past president of the Maine Council of TU.
Please meet at Burr Cemetery parking lot, 56 Durham Rd, Freeport, and wear tick protection and knee-high rubber boots.
More Information
Contact Gene McKenna (ph: 207-512-5610; gmckenna26@gmail.com) for more information about the event. Contact Nate Hicks (ph: 207-756-9364; fishbonemetalworks@gmail.com) for more information about the 10 am river walk.
Trout Unlimited (TU)
Event host Merrymeeting Bay Chapter of Trout Unlimited is part of national TU.
Our mission is to conserve, protect, and restore our area’s cold-water resources and the watersheds on which they depend. Trout Unlimited is the nation’s oldest and largest cold-water fisheries conservation organization dedicated to caring for and recovering America’s rivers and streams so our children can experience the joy of wild and native trout and salmon. Across the country, TU brings to bear local, regional, and national grassroots organizing, durable partnerships, science-backed policy muscle, and legal firepower on behalf of trout and salmon fisheries, healthy waters, and vibrant communities.
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EVENT CONTACT
Gene McKenna
207-512-5610
RIVER WALK CONTACT
Nate Hicks
207-756-9364