HERYN program serves 84 young people in 6 days

Reprinted with permission from Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association

A total of 84 young people ages 8-13 participated across six Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association HERYN (Helping Engage our River's Youth with Nature) kayaking and fishing day camp programs at the Central PA Wesleyan campground.

"I learned new ways to cast and fish and had never kayaked before today," said Maddie Maxwell, age 12, of Watsontown, in an exit survey.

"Maddie absolutely loved it! She said it was very fun and she would do it a million times," said her mother, Lindsy, a few days later via email. "She greatly enjoyed the fishing and liked the chance to actually fish in the lake. Thank you for putting on a fantastic program and we look forward to being involved in future events."

The program is designed to help young people learn the important fundamentals of both kayaking and fishing, building confidence in both activities that hopefully inspire a lifelong appreciation of waterways and the natural environment.

"I fished some and kayaked once before, but now I know about both and want to do them both more," said 11-year-old Jack Scerbo, of Bloomsburg, in his exit survey. "I also learned to pick up my fishing line if I go fishing."

Participants were divided up across the six days, with an average of 14 per day. They caught a total of 955 fish across the program days according to estimates on their exit surveys.

"My son Cohen said he enjoyed everything about his day and there was nothing he would change," said Erica Bowser, of Beaver Springs, in an email a few days after her son participated. "Keep up the great work and thanks for giving him the opportunity to learn more about fishing and kayaking!"

Fishing instruction begins with basic knot tying and casting, with games built in to develop confidence before the participants begin actual fishing at the lake. During the final period of the day, a fish cleaning and cooking demonstration is provided for students who want to participate and a sample of fresh fish is available for those who'd like to try it.

"Octavio and Rodrigo had such an amazing time they still talking about it," said Keira Ruiz-Ruiz, of Sunbury, a few days after her sons participated in the program. "They said the staff was amazing and Rodrigo even saved me a small piece of fish to try."

Kayaking instruction began with safety and regulation discussion as well as life jacket fitting and kayak maneuvering and practice boarding a flipped kayak in the campground's swimming pool. Tips on how to paddle lead to races and other games before a few competitions, such as yakball (soccer in a kayak) and gathering floating oranges, give students an opportunity to test their skills without even realizing it.

"The program today made me want to fish and kayak a lot more," said 11-year-old Nolan Derk, of Freeburg, in his exit survey.

Each program day wrapped up with a group picture and awards, but participants also discuss waterway health and pollution via an Enviroscape presentation. The talk includes a hands-on demo on how watersheds work and how people can make realistic changes at home to keep waterways cleaner.

"I learned that fish and bug invasive species populations can effect an ecosystem drastically," said 13-year-old Alyssa Almedilla, of Bloomsburg, in her exit survey. "It is important to consider the environmental effect your actions can cause."

The program is offered free to students thanks to sponsorships from groups like the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, local chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Goodwil's Restaurant, and donations from individuals.

"This week takes a lot of work to pull off and we couldn't do it without the support of donors, sponsors and volunteer instructors," said Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. "This was the fourth summer of offering this program and the benefits go well beyond kids learning to fish and kayak. We have seen it change the local conversation about our waterways, we have board members whose kids participated in this program and we are building an expanded relationship with everyday people who really do care about these resources and want to get involved.

"I have kids and their families approach me at the grocery store and other places in the local communities and ask me if I remember them from their HERYN experience and tell me that their younger siblings are excited to be old enough to participate. It has been really cool to see the bigger positive ripple effects from just this one program."

You can learn more about the HERYN program, including new pictures and videos as they become available as well as updates about future openings by clicking here .