Families from across Southeast Texas gathered at Sea Rim State Park for Kid Fish 2026, a coastal education event hosted by Sea Rim State Park Texas Parks and Wildlife and made possible by local organizations, volunteers and community partners. More than 500 residents made their way to the shoreline in Sabine Pass for a Saturday filled with Gulf Coast fun.
Kid Fish is a day for families to learn together, explore the coastline and connect with the outdoors before ever casting a line. Young anglers spent the morning discovering local wildlife, practicing new skills and building confidence. After completing each learning station, they received a fishing pole, baited their hooks with help from volunteers, cast their lines and measured their catch before safely returning the fish to the water. This annual tradition has been paused since 2023 making its return especially meaningful for families and volunteers across Southeast Texas.
Learning Stations That Bring the Coast to Life
Families rotated through hands-on learning stations that introduced young anglers to the skills and ecology behind coastal fishing. Kids practiced knot tying and casting with guidance from volunteers and learned the basics of water safety and ecosystem development.
Port Arthur LNG, alongside Bechtel, led the Fish Habitat and Identification station focused on exploring the fish that live along the Texas Gulf Coast and the habitats that support them. Children learned how flounder flatten themselves and blend into the sandy bottom, how redfish rely on seagrass beds for shelter and feeding and how speckled trout move with the tides to find food. Team members also explained how marshes and estuaries act as nurseries for young fish and how artificial reefs create long-term structures that strengthen marine ecosystems.
Kids leaned in as they discovered how the Gulf’s changing tides shape fish movement and how camouflage, reefs and shoreline vegetation help species survive. To keep the learning fun, volunteers from Port Arthur LNG and Bechtel organized a game of “guess that fish” for families and children to play, win prizes and get their station card punched.
Once they completed their stations families headed to the shoreline to begin the Kid Fish tournament.
A Community Tradition Worth Celebrating
Kid Fish is more than a day at the beach. It’s a chance for families to learn together, for kids to discover the outdoors and for our community to rally around the importance of protecting the Gulf Coast.
To support the event, Port Arthur LNG and Bechtel contributed more than 25 volunteers who helped welcome families, guided activities and ensured the day ran smoothly.
“Kid Fish shows what can happen when a community comes together with purpose,” said Lauren Perkins, Community Outreach Advisor for Sempra Infrastructure. “Our teams were proud to help clean the beach, serve families and support local organizations in bringing this beloved tradition back to our community.”
We’re grateful to Sea Rim State Park and Texas Parks and Wildlife for hosting this event and for creating meaningful outdoor experiences for Southeast Texas families. We are proud to stand alongside local organizations who share our commitment to education, biodiversity and community impact.
