Eighth Annual Event Sponsored by Hudson River Estuary Program.
Educators from Teatown will host the Eighth Annual Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count at the Kathryn W. Davis RiverWalk Center in Sleepy Hollow on Saturday, August 10, 2019, from 2pm-4:30pm. The public is invited to help explore the amazing variety of slippery, wriggly, and fascinating creatures usually hidden below the river’s surface!
From New York Harbor to its headwaters, the Hudson River is home to more than 200 species of fish. During the Fish Count, an event sponsored by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Program, participants will collect some of these fish using seine nets. Seining involves pulling a 30-foot net through the water and checking out the fish, crabs, and other river life caught in its mesh. Participants may watch from shore or jump into available waterproof waders to help pull in the net. The fish are released after attendees view them up close.
As the day goes on, results from the 19 sites included in the Fish Count will be shared via cell phones and by posting to Twitter using the hashtag #hudsonriverfishcount. Comparing notes will build understanding of the diversity of fish and habitats in the Hudson, the vitality of the estuarine ecosystem in urban as well as rural settings, and the influence of salinity and tides.
Strawtown Studios, an arts-based environmental education not-for-profit, is partnering with Teatown to help participants create an artistic rendering of their experience to take home.
For more information, visit the Great Hudson River Estuary Fish Count page on DEC’s website at http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/97891.html. While there, watch a clip about seining in the Hudson River on DEC’s YouTube Channel.
More information about Teatown and directions to Kingsland Point Park’s Kathryn W. Davis RiverWalk Center may be found at www.teatown.org/events/great-hudson-estuary-fish-count-2/.
Registration is free for Teatown members and $10 for non-members, and the park may charge a $5 parking fee.
