Preying for Panfish is a collection of colored pencil illustrations completed during my residency at pierce cedar creek institute in hastings, michigan. preying for panfish dedicates itself to appreciating the role that panfish play in our environment. Panfish are a type of small fish that, as adults, are large enough to be taken home as game fish, but still small enough to act as prey for a multitude of species. While panfish are easily disregarded for their size and frequency, their existence is crucial. An abundance of panfish means that larger fish, birds, beavers, and other predators are also able to exist in plentitude. Without their existence, equilibrium would be thrown off and the way our ecosystems look would change. At Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, panfish such as bluegill, pumpkinseed, black crappie, smallmouth bass, and more populate Brewster Lake, which is also home to many predatory species such as largemouth bass, northern pike, herons, and kingfishers. Preying for Panfish aims to acknowledge and thank our native panfish for being critical members of our freshwater ecosystems.
