The Hudson River is home to more than 200 species of fish, with species such as the striped bass and river herring migrating between freshwater and saltwater. Most of these migrating fish are born in the river and move into the ocean. When it is time for them to spawn, they return to the waters of the Hudson, free from the oceanic predators, and begin a new generation. This cycle happens every summer, unnoticed by human eyes.
A 64-foot sturgeon will be seen floating up the Hudson River from Yonkers to Newburgh on June 20. This fish is actually the schooner Apollonia, a boat that has been transformed by artist Gregory Corbino for the Fish Migration Celebration.
The annual celebration is made up of a water-based flotilla of boats and a land-based parade, joining legions of fish as they migrate back home to the Hudson River. It is the brainchild of Tracy Brown, president of Riverkeeper, which has protected the river through scientific monitoring and legal advocacy since 1966.
“There’s this Serengeti-scale of movement happening right under our noses,” says Brown, referencing the Great Migration of wildlife across the African savannah. “The idea of the Fish Migration Celebration is to make visible what is invisible in our natural world, so we can inspire better preservation of the waterways.”
This is the celebration’s second year running. It will begin at Habirshaw Park at 11am, part of the Yonkers Riverfront Summer Kickoff Festival and end at Unico Park in Newburgh. All events are free and open to the public.
The celebration will open with a puppet performance by Big Nazo, an improv group of puppet performers from Rhode Island. The main puppets featured will be the five major fish species that are being celebrated: the Atlantic sturgeon, the American eel, the striped bass, the American shad, and the river herring.
The puppets were made in close collaboration between the Riverkeeper staff and the artists. “It’s been inspiring in both directions,” says Brown. “The artists learn from our professional staff, but our staff have also learned to be better storytellers from the artists.”
The show will be led by Rhiannon Catalyst, the director and producer of the land-based performances this year, accompanied by the brass music of the Honk Family Band. Attendees are encouraged to dress up in ways inspired by the fish and celebrate along with the puppet performers.
The flotilla of four boats, made up of the schooner Apollonia, the retired fireboat John J. Harvey, and two Riverkeeper scientific vessels, will set off after a speech from Brown at 12:30pm. Puppeteers and artists like Corbino have brought the boats to life, animating them into huge versions of the colorful fish they are celebrating.
The flotilla makes the invisible migration visible, as the attention-grabbing boats sail up the Hudson. “People along the river from different communities can see the boats celebrating the fish going by,” says Catalyst, “so there’s lots of points of outreach and interaction.”
The flotilla, in its final stretch, will be followed by a school of red herring. These are kayakers, from Newburgh Waterways Center, with hats made by their young rowers working with artists and staff at Riverkeeper to make them resemble the migrating fish.
The flotilla will land at Unico Park at 5pm with a festive gathering featuring a second puppet performance, food vendors, and live music from the Unicorn Brass Band. There will be community art-building experiences where visitors can make their own fish costumes. Educational displays will highlight Riverkeeper’s efforts to protect and restore the Hudson River.
Brown hopes the celebration spreads awareness and advocacy through art and family fun. “A lot of the work Riverkeeper does can be very technical,” says Brown. “For people who want to be involved, but need to do it in a way that’s family friendly, the Fish Migration Celebration gives us an avenue.”
Brown ultimately wants to reach thousands of people this year. “Hopefully, either by contributing to the event, seeing the boats pass, or through social media, people will hear the message. The fish migration is coming, and it’s spectacular.”
