Thinking of convention locations

With the Kentucky convention coming to a close I got to thinking about what locations would be good for a convention.

I skipped the answer everyone wants of "my own backyard" as finding room for the forum's 3,284 members in 3,284 backyards is a logistics nightmare. I also skipped locations done before (which the Nanfa page lists as Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas). And locations whose fish are better elsewhere. (such as Rhode Island sounds good for tropicals, but the tropics themselves trump it). And locations in North America too dangerous (the acidic ecosystem of Cueva de Villa Luz in Mexico sounds cool with its mollies, but the sulfuric acid water and hydrogen sulfide gas sounds too toxic).

Here are the areas I thought of that may be good for conventions. Lets start with the east.

GEORGIA: The place where the southern Appalachians give way to the gulf coastal plain leading to a variety of habitats rich in darters, minnows, and pygmy sunfish,

WEST VIRGINIA: A mountain state with such prized upland species as Mountain Redbelly Dace and Rainbow Darter

PENNSYLVANIA: The divide between midwestern and eastern coastal ecosystems It's like two states in one.

NEW JERSEY: The pine barrens are a bit famous and a location for coastal plain species like redfin pickerel, banded sunfish, bluespot sunfish, and swamp darter. You may even see (but NOT keep) a rare mud sunfish.

MAINE: pearl dace, northern red bellied dace, and finescale dace. Where else in the lower 48 can you find arctic char. come in the spring and see herring, shad, salmon, sturgeon, eel, and lamprey migrate.

the west coast states usually don't allow collecting, but collecting is not needed for fish appreciation.

WASHINGTON: The chehalis fauna are a preserved refugium where species are diverging, plus you can see a famous west coast salmon migration.

CALIFORNIA: see Sacemento Perch in their native habitat, western minnows, tule perch, and more.

ARIZONA: colorado river has nteresting minnow and sucker species, plus you get desert fish.

We should also consider fish outside the US as it is also part of North America.

MACKENZIE RIVER CANADA: A northernmost range extension for many temperate fish, plus arctic species.

GREAT LAKES DRAINAGE CANADA: The most popular of northern drainages, only in another country.

BAHAMAS: Tropical marine species, plus those who stay at Atlantis resort can go window shopping in the aquarium their.

CENTRAL AMERICA: I tried to pick a specific biodiversity hotspot, but i keep finding info calling the whole area a hotspot. Can't find which part is best for fish in my searches yet.

Now, I'm not trying to be that guy who says "My Backyard" but I think the driftless region of Minnesota and Wisconsin would make for a great convention site.

NJ Pine Barrens gets my vote. Great fish diversity, plus easy access to several other completely different collecting environs. Marines/brackish a half hour or so east. About 1 hr west you have the Delaware watershed. Good for typical middle Atlantic species plus tidal species further down. Some cold water species as well. And if anyone is interested there are Northern Snakeheads to be seen close by in their brand new natural environment. And less than an hour west of all that you have the Susquehanna which is part of the Chesapeake watershed. And little old me, right in the middle! I would definitely be up to guide on a trip or two.

The past few years the conventions have gone to eastern states. A western state convention would mix it up a bit.

I'm all for Arizona or Maine, either way would mix things up a bit more.

All someone has to do is volunteer to host and organize a convention, present it to the Board of Directors for approval, and you're off and running.

I've been pondering doing that very thing, but with the MN DNR and WI DNR, especially when you consider the lack of communication between the two, could pose a problem.

I'm all for Arizona or Maine, either way would mix things up a bit more.

The past few years the conventions have gone to eastern states. A western state convention would mix it up a bit.

I would second that. A Maine or western trip would be extremely interesting.

Ahem, I have been petitioning for a Georgia convention for years. Eh, Michael?

And there's still no "Fishes of ...." book, although we've come close a couple of times.

Plus, a TN or LA redux wouldn't hurt. Now, MS is RIGHT OUT, even though I know a lot more than I did 13 years ago.