*WEATHER UPDATE: Due to the weather forecast for rain this Thursday, the in-person volunteer training will now be moved to FRIDAY, MARCH 25 at 5:30pm. The location will still be at Rising Sun Mills in Providence. You can contact our Fish Count Coordinator Zane Silva at zsilva@wrwc.org if you have questions or concerns.
CALLING ALL FISH FRIENDS: The fish counting season is in full swing!
Every year, in March, April, and May, the WRWC counts the river herring returning to the Woonasquatucket River to spawn (make babies). We do this to understand the impact of our fish passage projects on the ecosystem of the Woonasquatucket River and Narragansett Bay. After over a century of the river being blocked by dams and polluted by industry, now fish return from the Mid-Atlantic Ocean to spawn in the freshwater part of the Woonasquatucket where they were first hatched.
If you’re interested in joining us, sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/
We will be counting fish as they return upstream to spawn at the Rising Sun Mills Fish Ladder, located at 166 Valley Street in Providence. You are welcome to join the count any time you are in the neighborhood without signing up in advance. However, this sign up is to ensure that there are at least 2 counts each day.
If you are new to fish counting and would like to join in the fun this year, be sure to attend one of the mandatory training sessions for new volunteers:
Our friends at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) Division of Fish & Wildlife will be hosting an online Zoom training that will highlight all five of our herring count sites and will show you how to conduct a herring count survey. The virtual training is Tuesday, March 22 from 6:00-7:00 PM. You can sign up for this training session by clicking here. If you are unable to join and would like the recording, fill out the form.
There will also be an in-person training held by our Fish Count Coordinator Zane Silva and Jennifer Brooks of RIDEM. The in-person training will be held on Friday, March 25 at 5:30 PM, at Rising Sun Mills in Providence.
Note: All new volunteers must either attend the zoom training, watch the recorded zoom training, OR come to the in person training on March 25th. If you are unable to attend, a pre-recorded training can be sent to you. Returning volunteers are not required to attend this training, but all are welcome to join!
We look forward to having you join us for the fish count!