BRASHER FALLS — Fourth graders from St. Lawrence School at Brasher Falls participated in a sturgeon restocking “outreach” event Friday, Oct. 12 at Jellybean’s Riverside Campground here.

The kids took part in educational activities on the historical relevance and importance of lake sturgeon in New York State waters and released small sturgeon into the St. Regis River.

The ancient-species fish that were released that day were an average of six inches long. They were raised from eggs collected this past spring.

Sturgeon can live to be more than 100 years old and will grow to be more than 200 pounds.

The huge fish were nearly eradicated because of the trophy size of the fish and the popularity of their eggs. They are now part of a sustained effort at re-establishing populations in the tributaries of the St. Lawrence River.

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation fisheries planned the educational outreach along with Save the River, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Ms. Craft and Ms. Fennell, fourth grade teachers from St. Lawrence School.

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This is what a baby sturgeon looks like. In time it could grow to over 10 feet long. NYS DEC photo.