Whether you’re interested in learning more about your hometown, or fulfilling your desire for travel and exploration, a paddling sojourn is a great addition to your summer calendar. Sojourns are organized trips on a body of water like a creek or lake, typically in a canoe or kayak. They include expert instructors and safety personnel and include education about local history, geological formations, wildlife, or conservation practices.
Paddlers of all experience levels are welcome at these events, with boat rentals available from partner outfitters. DCNR works with the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers to offer small grants to organizations to arrange and manage these trips on waterways across the state.
You have got to check out this full list of trips offered this year by clicking here to see the map of offerings here in Pennsylvania: 2021 sojourn map.
State funding to support sojourns comes from the Environmental Stewardship Fund.
NATURE NUGGET: Cicadas might be popping up in your community. Brood X and other cicadas most likely have a scattered performance depending on where you live. Here is an animated guide to the life cycle of cicadas as published by TIME Magazine. An Animated Guide to This Year’s Brood X Cicada Emergence | Time
NATURE QUOTE:
“Porcupine Pat” McKinney is environmental education coordinator for the Schuylkill Conservation District and provides programming for people of all ages with an emphasis on schools, public programming and nature center development. “Porcupine Pat” hails from Marion, Ohio and has a BS with Distinction in Natural Resources – Environmental Interpretation from Ohio State. He is a recipient of the prestigious Sandy Cochran Award for Excellence in Natural Resources Education from the PA Forestry Association, the Schuylkill Pride Award, and the PAEE “Outstanding Environmental Educator Award.”