GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The Grand Canoe experience is taking place this week at the Riverside Park Lagoon. It's a local initiative that is giving more than 1,000 Grand Rapids Public Schools students the chance to canoe on the Grand River near Monroe Avenue.
The city is partnering with the school district on the project. Students are paddling in 10 canoes and there are various educational stations set up along the way so they can learn more about water quality testing, bird watching and other things.
Here are more details from a City of Grand Rapids news release:
The program builds on the success of Canoemobile, offered in previous years in partnership with Wilderness Inquiry.
This is the seventh year the City and GRPS has partnered to provide outdoor learning experiences for students. Now, The Grand Canoe Experience signals a new chapter, locally designed and driven to deepen environmental connection and education for Grand Rapids youth.
“We’re grateful for the ongoing GRPS partnership leadership and community support for this program,” said David Marquardt, director of the City’s Department of Parks and Recreation. “We’re excited to launch The Grand Canoe Experience and continue expanding outdoor education opportunities for Grand Rapids students.”
In addition to paddling in ten-passenger, "voyageur" canoes, students will experience educational stations to explore more topics including camping, water quality testing, macroinvertebrate sampling, and bird watching.
"Experiences like this are essential to supporting the holistic needs of our scholars,” said GRPS Superintendent Leadriane Roby, Ph.D. “They offer a valuable opportunity to step outside the classroom and witness firsthand the vital role our waterways play in our lives every day.”
Canoeing activities will be facilitated by City employees through GR Outside – the Department of Parks and Recreation’s outdoor education division – with additional support staff from Camp Newaygo. Education stations will be provided through community partners including Bill & Paul's Sporthaus, City of Grand Rapids Water System, John Ball Zoo, Grand Rapids Public Museum, Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds (LGROW), and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services’ Environmental Health Bureau.
To close out the week, the public is invited to participate in a free Family Paddle Night on Friday, May 9 from 4 to 8 p.m. at Riverside Park Boat Launch #2 (2001 Monroe Ave. NE). Community members can enjoy 20-minute rides in kayaks through the park’s lagoon.
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