Something Fishy Is Going On In Johns Creek

You probably know that there is an actual Johns Creek, but did you know that the actual Johns Creek is loaded with fish? The North American Native Fishes Association (NANFA) is helping Autrey Mill Nature Preserve establish a tank in the Visitors Center that is stocked with an assortment of fish native to Johns Creek.

NANFA’s mission is dedicated to the appreciation, study and conservation of the continent’s native fishes. As part of that mission, in 2013 NANFA awarded a $1,000 grant to Keep North Fulton Beautiful, Inc. for their project, “Protecting the Native Fishes of Johns Creek, Georgia,” which was planned to document the fishes in Johns Creek. Well, after it was discovered that there was a large tank in the Visitors Center at Autrey Mill in need of an overhaul, NANFA volunteers jumped in to help establish an aquarium display of some of those native fishes.

On a recent Saturday, a group of members from NANFA joined Executive Director Wade Chandler to further investigate Johns Creek and observed and identified 16 different species of fishes. Among them were several shiners, sunfish, stoneroller, crappie and darters. Autrey Mill is excited to work with NANFA to help raise awareness and education the public about our native fishes and to help preserve their natural habitats.

If you’d like to see some of these fish in person, stop by the Visitors Center at Autrey Mill Nature Preserve. If you’d like to learn more about either NANFA or Autrey Mill, please go to their website at www.nanfa.org or www.autreymill.org.