Known as “the river that flows both ways,” the Hudson River is a tidal estuary where fresh water mixes with ocean water. It is home to numerous, iconic species with habitats that have been negatively impacted by human activity. We work to repair and defend this precious ecosystem and the life within it.

Since the Hudson River ebbs and flows with the ocean tide, mixing salt and freshwater from the Battery in New York City to Newburgh Bay, it supports a biologically rich environment that is home to a wide variety of life. For many key species, it provides critical habitat as well as essential spawning grounds.The Hudson River was once home to countless fish and a profusion of migratory species that returned each year to renew their populations. Today, populations of all of the region’s iconic fishes — from American shad, Atlantic sturgeon and shortnose sturgeon, American eels, and river herring, to striped bass — are in long-term decline.

It is critical for both wildlife and our human communities that we reverse these trends, restore our aquatic habitats, remove and mitigate the spread of invasive plants, and keep our waters clean and protected.

Our efforts to restore the Hudson River, its tributaries, and shoreline habitats — including removing dams and trash, planting native trees and plants, community action, outreach, and education — are rejuvenating our wildlife populations.

We are all part of the Hudson River ecosystem. By protecting local habitat and wildlife, we improve the health and sustainability of our communities for generations to come.