2023 Nourished By Nature
A love for the outdoors permeates nearly every aspect of CRWC’s work. Before signing on at an environmental organization with a mission to protect, enhance, and celebrate the Clinton River, its watershed, and Lake St. Clair, each of CRWC’s staff members began their passion for the outdoors in a different way. Everything from camping with their families to trying kayaking with their friends, from swimming in local waterways to cycling in nearby parks, brought our team into the outdoors.
The Clinton River watershed hosts hiking, kayaking, camping, canoeing, swimming, fishing, boating, and cycling opportunities for all those who reside here. Before anyone chooses to volunteer to remove trash from a local park or tries to scoop macroinvertebrates out of icy waters in February, they find joy in nature.
However, it isn’t simple for everyone to try outdoor activities. Barriers like lack of experience, cost of equipment, and access to expert training can prevent people from finding their way to outdoor hobbies.
Recognizing this, in 2023 CRWC wanted to share opportunities to test-drive the nature-based activities that the Clinton River watershed has to offer with residents. CRWC’s goal was to remove as many barriers to entry as possible, and help residents have fun outside.
As a result of the generous support of the David W. Elliott Foundation and attendees of CRWC’s 2023 Annual Meeting, the Clinton River Watershed Council was able to host three successful outdoor experience events and engaged a new audience of participants who have previously not had the opportunity to participate in these kinds of outdoor experiences.
Attendees had guided firsthand experiences viewing wildlife, learning about recreational resources, spending time with outdoor experts, exploring different habitats and landscapes, and making new memories.
URBAN BIRDING
The first event in the series took place in the City of Eastpointe with the focus of introducing residents to the joys of birding. CRWC partnered with the Detroit Zoo, the City of Eastpointe, Eastpointe Memorial Library, Macomb Audubon, Macomb County, and Urban Seed to make birding more accessible.
CRWC Watershed Program Coordinator, Pronoye Kapali, shared “This event provided an opportunity to appreciate the beauty and diversity of the natural world while learning about different bird species and their habitats. With the help of our partners, we were able to provide a beginner birding training session, expose participants to commonly used and easily accessible birding apps, and provide a birding expert for three teams of residents on their guided birding hike around Eastpointe.”
CRWC provided binoculars to each participant to use during the event and Michigan bird guides to take home. CRWC’s team led participants through natural habitats, helped them spot and identify different bird species, and learn about their behaviors and habitats.
KAYAKING ADVENTURE
In June, CRWC focused on getting residents out on the water. Starting at Webber Paddle Park in New Baltimore, CRWC worked in partnership with Simple Adventures and Six Rivers Land Conservancy to host a kayaking adventure along the Salt River.
Safety instructions, kayaks, personal floatation devices, and paddles were provided for residents to use during the event by Simple Adventures. One resident summarized their experience by saying “The river is a peaceful space full of wildness. Nicely organized, friendly volunteers, kayaks were in very good condition, perfect duration, and great ice cream pause.”
Pronoye said “Participants registered to learn the fundamentals of kayaking and paddling techniques and practiced these skills at a comfortable pace.” Overall, this route was approximately 1.92 miles one way - 3.84 miles total.
PEDALS & PAINT
The final installment of Nourished by Nature took place at the Clinton River Watershed Council’s office, where participants were encouraged to bring their bicycles or their walking shoes to explore the Clinton River Trail in Rochester Hills. Participants pedaled their way through a short cycling trip, where they explored the trail.
Following the cycling excursion, art supplies were provided so that participants could spend time in creativity and capture the inspiring landscapes of the Clinton River watershed on canvas in the Avon Nature Area prairie, surrounded by native wildflowers to inspire their paintings.
An attendee said “It was something different. It was well organized. The food was very good. The art instruction was informative. It was just easy fun.” Another participant stated that the event “Provided an opportunity to do some exercise and also learn. I met nice people and had great food in a beautiful outdoor area.”
REFLECTING ON THE SERIES AS A WHOLE
Residents appreciated the opportunity to explore the Clinton River watershed in ways that they never had before, partners were excited to be included in a fully funded event series, and each event filled up, illustrating the popularity among residents.
Pronoye explained, “One of the many goals of the Nourished by Nature series is not only to allow residents to experience new activities but also to motivate them to continue it on their own.” In 2024, CRWC will continue the Nourished by Nature series with new activities.
Author(s): Cole Pachucki, Pronoye Kapali