CHARLEMONT — For its annual fundraising banquet, the Deerfield River Watershed Chapter of Trout Unlimited is welcoming the national organization’s senior scientist to speak to members and the public about how science informs Trout Unlimited’s work around the nation.

The banquet will be held at the Warfield House Inn’s outdoor pavilion, 200 Warfield Road in Charlemont, on Thursday, Aug. 22, beginning with a cocktail hour at 5 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. Tickets are $55 each and can be purchased from the local chapter’s website at deerfieldrivertroutunlimited.com.

The keynote speaker will be Trout Unlimited Senior Scientist Helen Neville, who has worked with the organization since 2006 and specializes in applying genetic tools to improve understanding of the ecology and conservation needs of salmon and trout. Her speech, titled “Using Science to Advance TU’s Conservation Mission,” will focus on the organization’s staff and how science has informed policy needs.

“What she’ll be talking about in a little more detail is using science to help make the argument to protect fisheries. That’s where science can really influence policymakers and regulators,” said Mike Vito, the Deerfield River Watershed Chapter’s past president, who added that Neville has worked with the local chapter in the past. “We’re trying to stay on the cutting-edge as well, and we’re lucky to have diverse volunteers that love citizen science. That’s Deerfield’s strength.”

The Deerfield River Watershed Chapter will also honor Trout Unlimited’s Western New England Project Manager Erin Rodgers with its annual Bob Anderson Conservation Award for her work on the organization’s wild brown trout spawning study and Rice Brook Native Brook Trout Enhancement Study, which helped persuade federal regulators to increase minimum flows on the Fife Brook Dam and Bear Swamp hydro-electric operation to protect brown trout eggs.

Proceeds from the banquet benefit the Deerfield River Watershed Chapter’s projects and research. A silent auction and other prize giveaways will also be available.

“Essentially, this is one of our bigger fundraisers that we do and all the money we use goes into the citizen science projects. The citizen science we’re doing now, especially with the brook trout, is really combating climate change,” Vito explained. “It’s getting warmer and it is impacting the trout. … When you have severe weather changes — drought one month, heavy rain the next — that’s not good for the ecology.”

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.