Join KELT for World Fish Migration Day!
When: Saturday, April 21
Where: Nequasset Park and Fish Ladder in Woolwich
KELT is sponsoring a series of five programs at the Nequasset Fish Ladder on April 21st to celebrate World Fish Migration Day. These free programs will include birding, kid’s story hour and activities, canoe/kayak on Nequasset, a tour at the ladder about the fish count and harvest, and a presentation at the town office about the history of Nequasset dam and fish ladder. Each of these programs will last about an hour.
From 9:30 to 10:30 am, Birding at Nequasset is scheduled. Meet at Nequasset Park and join KELT staff and volunteers to identify birds around the ladder and lake.
From 11:00 am to 12:00 pm, the kids’ story hour and activities program is scheduled. It will feature a story about alewives, interactive games to learn about alewives and their migration, and alewife focused crafts.
From 12:30 to 1:30 pm, join us for the canoe and kayak paddle on Nequasset Lake. Bring your own boat to the park and join local experts for a tour around the lake, an introduction to the alewife harvest, and information about the way uses of the lake have changed over time.
From 2:00 to 3:00 pm, join KELT staff, volunteers, and a member of the Woolwich Fish Commission to learn about alewife migration across the state, the design of the ladder, the number of fish that are annually harvested or spawn in the lake, and how to take part in KELT’s annual fish count.
From 3:30 to 4:30 pm, Woolwich Selectboard member Allison Hepler and Woolwich Fish Commission member Bill Potter will give a presentation about the history of Nequasset Lake, Nequasset Dam, and the Nequasset alewife harvest at the Woolwich Town Office.
The best parking for the first four programs is at Nequasset Park. The park is located on George Wright Road in Woolwich, just to the east of the intersection with Nequasset Road. The best parking for the history presentation is the Woolwich Town Office, located south of Route 1 on Nequasset Road.
World Fish Migration Day is a global celebration of rivers and fish with events scheduled in more than 50 countries. KELT is hosting this series of events at Nequasset to celebrate this important harvest in midcoast Maine, Thousands of fish migrate to Nequasset Lake each year to spawn, and the 2018 Nequasset alewife run will start in early May. The active fish run and alewife harvest at Nequasset Dam has been an important part of the town of Woolwich for hundreds of years. The restoration of the fish ladder in fall of 2014 has helped ensure the continued success of the alewife run for many years to come.
To find out more about the programs at Nequasset, contact Ruth Indrick at rindrick@kennebecestuary.org or visit www.kennebecestuary.org.
To learn more about World Fish Migration Day and migratory fish celebrations around the globe, check out www.worldfishmigrationday.com/events.
Preregistration for all the events is not required, but it is appreciated for help with program planning. Please sign up using the Google form below or call 207-442-8400.