Come join Charlie Saulnier, formerly with the Essex Agricultural & Technical High School in Danvers (now part of the Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School) and John Macone, Policy and Education Specialist for the Merrimack River Watershed Council, as they share their experiences with the Merrimack River.

Charlie led students of the Essex Agricultural & Technical High School in Danvers (now part of the Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School) on multiple trips exploring the Merrimack River, paddling wood and canvas canoes they built themselves. During the trips they learned ways to assess the health of the river, practiced navigation and trip planning using a topographical map and hand compass, and the basics of setting up and running a camp. Charlie will describe the trips, the tools and the techniques they used. All of these are useful (and fun) for anyone who paddles, whether you’re on the Merrimack, your local river or exploring an area new to you.

John will provide an update on the health of the river and explain how you can get the most current information on water quality. He’ll also talk about how we, as users of the river, can help the Council and other organizations address the environmental challenges facing the Merrimack.

Charlie and John will hang around after the session to answer questions and share info on where folks can get all kinds of activities and supplies that make learning on rivers fun. These same activities can provide valuable info organization can use to help to improve the health of this great resource we all share.

This session works best for folks who can come to the shop, but will still be good for folks who choose to attend the Zoom meeting.

Please click here if you are interested in attending. If the mail link doesn’t work, then please send an email to whiterosecanoe@gmail.com. Please include a phone number where we can reach you in case there is a last minute change.