The eels are coming!
Free training session to help protect these tiny, yet well-traveled fish
Right now, millions of tiny, see-through fish are starting to make their way up the Hudson River.
Born in the waters between Bermuda and Puetro Rico, American eels spend the first year of their life traveling into coastal estuaries like the Hudson River.
As they head upriver, every spring, scientists, students and members of the community collect these glass-like eels using specialized nets and traps to catch, count and release the juvenile fish back on their way.
Using tools like fyke nets, eel mops and eel ladders to help them cross dams and other barriers in the river, volunteers with the Hudson River Eel Project have been mapping the animal’s upstream adventure since 2008. The project, according to organizers “provides crucial baseline data on young eel populations in the Hudson River, and gets students and community members engaged with their local streams.”
That data not only shows more eels being recorded over time, but more people are coming out to help every season. In 2008, two sites monitored over 2,569 total eel, expanding to 1,000 volunteers from Staten Island to New Baltimore, and 141,246 eels caught last year (2025).
This Saturday, March 28, 2026 from 1 to 4pm, Scenic Hudson, in partnership with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve and Hudson River Estuary Program, will host a free eel training day at the Black Creek Preserve in Esopus.
To participate in Saturday’s eel training session, register via the volunteer portal: Link and email Elle Petravicius at epetravicius@scenichudson.org with any questions. Volunteers should wear warm, layered clothing you don’t mind getting wet and dirty, and bring a towel. Waders will be provided. Training session intended for ages 12 and up; ages 12 to 17 must be accompanied by an adult.
For more information on the Hudson River Eel Project, visit https://hrnerr.org/eel-monitoring/
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