Do you enjoy being on the banks of the Exeter River in spring? Interested in seeing river herring swim upriver, running the gauntlet of striped bass, ospreys, herons, sea gulls, and other predators, all while contributing to valuable scientific data? Then this is your spring project!

The removal of the Great Dam in Exeter improved access to miles of essential spawning habitat in the lower Exeter River for fish returning from the ocean, including river herring (Alewife and Blueback Herring), American Shad, and Sea Lamprey. Each year New Hampshire Fish and Game biologists open the Department's seven fishways at the beginning of April to monitor the returns of these native fish, but they need your help!

Come join us for a training to learn more about The NH River Herring Visual Time Count Project and ways to sign up. From May through mid-June, volunteers are needed for just 10-minutes a day! Visual time counts will be conducted 7 days a week, between the hours of 7am and 7pm. Monitoring takes place at the Great Bridge, in downtown Exeter.

Volunteer counts of river herring provide valuable scientific data on herring abundance and are used by fisheries managers to develop management strategies and restoration practices.

All are welcome!