IPSWICH, MA — Calling all local groups and organizations! Ipswich River Watershed Association invites you to have an educational event, program or outing at our Riverbend headquarters, right on the beautiful Ipswich River.
This spring, we are increasing our educational programs and offerings, especially those aimed at local youth. As you plan your outdoor programming, field trips and nature excursions, we encourage you to keep the Ipswich River in mind and consider programs which focus on and highlight the river while also keeping us in mind as a resource or partner in those plans. We can even help you plan and organize your program, providing suggestions and guidance, from deciding where to have the event to figuring out what kind of educational activity best fits into your plans and objectives.
If you already have something planned, we can add a valuable educational element to your event, whether it’s a paddling trip on the water or a river-related program along the river’s banks. We’ll work with you to come up with something that best fits into your plans and best suits your needs and goals.
We are happy to host your group here at Riverbend, our headquarters right on the river in Ipswich, where you will have the use of our boats and dock to get on the water, provided at no cost to you. We have 6 canoes and 11 kayaks, accommodating 25 passengers. There are also personal flotation devices and paddles for you to use, but we cannot at this time provide transportation to bring you here or deliver our equipment to your location. There are a number of put-ins along the river and some kayak and canoe rental operations, including Foote Brothers and Newbury Kayak and Canoe.
If you’re having your event at another location, while we can’t bring canoes and kayaks, we can come to wherever you are and provide an on-site educational experience. This would include the same materials or activities that groups will get while here at our home base. Our education staff is mobile and ready to be where you need them.
Whether you are here at Riverbend or getting on the river elsewhere, we will provide the same educational experience. It can be something as simple as a general discussion or learning activity, prior to your river excursion, or as involved as joining you on the water and providing insights as we travel the river together. The educational program can be tailored in other ways, such as activities for certain age groups or focusing on a specific subject/area of interest.
Types of activities can include, but are not limited to: 1) building a model of a watershed out of common household items (watershed in a box!), 2) using a water quality test kit to monitor the river’s water quality, 3) using a net to find macroinvertebrate species in the river, 4) fun and interactive games which get participants on their feet and moving around, and 5) more reflective exercises which provide opportunities to experience and describe or write about the river in greater depth. You can also request that we focus on a certain subject matter or area of concern, such as water conservation, land use, water quality, or low flows, among others.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss an event you are planning or already have scheduled, please contact Robert Barossi, Education and Outreach Apprentice, Ipswich River Watershed Association, at 978-412-8200 or rbarossi [at] ipswichriver.org.
(NOTE: The above press release is from the Ipswich River Watershed Association.)
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