Saturday, September 13, 11:30am – 3:00pm, (map location #2)
Where: River Road and possibly Meetinghouse Pond and/or Pah Wah boat launches, with a paddle into Little Pleasant Bay to Sampson Island
NEW EVENT! Join us on a paddle to Sampson Island where we will have a picnic lunch and a chance to learn about efforts to restore eelgrass beds in Pleasant Bay. This is a 3.5 hour trip. Launch sites will include, depending on interest, River Road, Meetinghouse Pond and Pah Wah Pond. From River Road, we will launch into The River and paddle along the east shore past Kent’s Point and Viking Point to the northwest beach of Sampson Island. This will take us through stands of eelgrass, an essential but sensitive element in Pleasant Bay’s highly productive estuary ecosystem.
Dr Alyssa Novak, coastal ecologist from Boston University will join our trip and will talk about ongoing efforts to study seagrass in the face of warming waters. This is a follow up to Dr. Novak’s Saturday morning presentation discussing her investigation of seagrass in Pleasant Bay. After lunch, if we are lucky, we will have a chance to cool off with a swim in the waters around the Sampson Island. Finally we will paddle back to the starting launch site.
Duration: about 3.5 hours
NOTE: The trip from the Meetinghouse Pond or River Rd launches is a moderately challenging paddle of about 5-6 miles round trip. It is appropriate for experienced kayakers only. Pleasant Bay can be subject to significant winds which will impact the trip’s difficulty.
You must provide your own kayak and paddling gear, including PFD. All paddlers MUST wear a PFD during the trip!
Please bring water, snacks, sunscreen and insect repellent. Please wear sturdy footwear, such as water shoes. Flip-flops are not recommended.
All participants must be over 18 years and PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED! Each participant will need to register separately. Due to restrictions and safety considerations, this trip is limited to 12 registrants for each launch site. No children under 18 years. NO UNREGISTERED PADDLERS WILL BE ACCEPTED ON THIS TRIP. Please fill out the registration below and be sure to complete the liability waiver.
We will launch after the 10:00–11:00 am presentation on Eelgrass Resilience, given by Dr Alyssa Novak at the Centers for Culture and History of Orleans (CHO), 3 River Road. These are meant to be connected events so we encourage you to attend both.
Bring water, lunch and/or snacks to enjoy when we stop at Sampson Island!
Please read the attached liability waiver. You will not be able to join this trip without agreeing to this waiver. By completely filling out this registration and clicking the ‘SUBMIT” button at the bottom of this page, you confirm you have read this waiver and accept its terms and conditions.
OPC Liability Waiver:
I have read this entire Agreement and am signing it freely and voluntarily as a condition of my participation in a Celebrate Our Waters paddling event. Signed undertake pains and penalties of perjury by filling out the registration below, signing and submitting the completed registration.