Sturgeon Release October 07

Too windy to fish or put out cameras, so went to the Toledo Zoo Sturgeon Fest on Saturday (October 07). A lot more people than I anticipated. It's grown into a fairly big event. Good mix of people there, from couples with young children to senior citizens (I took my 90 year old father). For those who don't know (and I'm sure most here don't), it's part of the Toledo Zoo's Sturgeon reintroduction program. They raise sturgeon at a zoo facility over the spring and summer and then release the YOY (young of year) sturgeon into the Maumee River at the Sturgeon Fest (just below the zoo at the Walbridge Park boat ramp). If you want, you can "sponsor" a sturgeon (help fund the program) and if it's either recovered or it's transmitter is detected by a Great Lakes acoustic array, they inform you. For those who want to actually release a sturgeon, they give you a YOY sturgeon (6-8 inches long) in a small bucket, then you take it to a slide that goes into the river. You pour the water and sturgeon onto the slide and the fish slides down into the river. Great event to spend an hour at, get outdoors, and see / participate in Lake conservation efforts. If you want more information, you can start with the two web site links below the photos.

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Lake Sturgeon - Toledo Zoo & Aquarium

Sturgeon Fest - Toledo Zoo & Aquarium