Canoeing for a cause
Canoeing for a cause. It sounds cheesy, but that’s exactly what a group of UW-Eau Claire students and their professors did earlier this June.
Pumping up their bike tires and dusting off their life vests, this assortment of more than a dozen passionate people set out to determine exactly where and why the Chippewa River is in trouble. And by trouble, of course, I mean where pollution is taking the heaviest toll on the Chip's wildlife and plants. And you can see their results.
This perfect summertime adventure, now known as the Pedal and Paddle Pollution Tour, serves the noble purpose of inspiring local citizens to "actively steward our valuable river." Members of the community were invited along on this journey, to enjoy the natural beauty of Eau Claire, sure, but to also learn about what can be done to preserve said beauty.
The primary purpose of the tour is to "encourage you to hike, kayak, canoe, or bike to the GPS waypoints indicated on this map to learn about point and non-point sources of local pollution." So, basically, to get outside and learn something! Said map is now also available in print form, which you can find at local bike and kayak shops (although distribution is still in process).
Who, you might be wondering, is behind this awesome undertaking? Why, students and professors right here in Eau Claire! Just in case you've forgotten these folks, who pioneered the Environmental Civic Agency course offered at the university since fall, I’m here to remind you.
According to Dr. Ruth Cronje, a UW-Eau Claire professor who helped spearhead this initiative (with the gracious sponsorship of the Blugold Commitment and the Wisconsin Environmental Board), the goal behind this project is simple:
Our river is a beautiful and valuable natural resource, so we hope people take the tour both as a way to get familiar with this unique local natural area as well as to learn about ways that can help steward it. If you get out on the river, you'll fall in love with it! We launched our Pedal and Paddle Pollution Tour on June 11 as part of the Eau Claire Earth Day. A group of us paddled the tour route, and another group pedalled it. The paddlers saw several bald eagles (we even witnessed a juvenile catching a fish!), saw fish jumping, etc. It was a lovely, serene ride that took a little over two hours -- so something families can do in an afternoon.
If you want to get involved, they'd love to have you. Just visit their site to learn more. Read their mission, watch the tour videos, peruse the photos ... whatever strikes your fancy.
