Give A Herring A Hand At The Mill River Fish Lift

You can have the chance to help Long Island's wildlife at the Mill River Fish Lift on May 4.

Each year, river herring migrate from the ocean to Long Island's waterways to spawn, and Smith Pond, part of Mill River, is one of their spawning grounds. However, the dam between Mill River and Smith Pond blocks their progress.

Seatuck, a Long Island wildlife conservation group, is seeking volunteers to help give the fish a lift. Volunteers will use nets and buckets to help the river herring get over the dam and into Smith Pond.

The fish lift will be held on from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on May 4 at the Smith Pond spillway, located at the western end of Nassau Street in Rockville Centre.

Those who are interested in participating in the lift should contact Enrico Nardone at staff@seatuck.org, or call 631-581-6908. People are also welcome to come and watch the event, where they'll get the chance to learn about the river herring and the efforts underway to restore their numbers in Mill River.