FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Greenfield, MA. June 18, 2014. —The Connecticut River Watershed Council (CRC) along with the Appalachian Mountain Club and the Vermont River Conservancy will host a River Celebration at Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam, CT, on June 21 at 11am to announce the expansion of the Connecticut River Paddler’s Trail into MA and CT. CRC along with project leaders from the Vermont River Conservancy and the Appalachian Mountain Club will be unveiling the plan for the expanded trail, which currently just serves Vermont and New Hampshire.
“We’re excited to be a part of a collaborative effort to enhance this resource for those who paddle our great river,” comments Andrew Fisk, CRC Executive Director. “This trail is an investment for those who are enthusiastic about being out on the water, and the 410-mile journey from the river’s source to the sea is one of New England’s iconic adventures.” The Connecticut River Paddlers’ Trail is managed by a collaborative of organizations working together on trail planning and development, building and stewarding primitive campsites, improving access points and portage trails, and disseminating information to visitors.
Steve Grant, a Pulitzer-prize nominated journalist, will speak at the Celebration. Jim Dina, an intrepid explorer and author of The Voyage of the Ant, is a featured guest.The two guests have deep connections with the river. Steve Grant has worked as an outdoor and environmental reporter for the Hartford Courant for over 29 years and wrote a 17-part chronicle of his journey from the headwaters of the Connecticut River down to the Sound. Jim Dina’s work, The Voyage of the Ant, relays his experience paddling up the Connecticut River in his birchbark canoe, made using Native American tools and techniques.
The Celebration will also include the presentation of the Bud Foster Award and lunch on site at the state park. A summer solstice river paddle will begin at 1:30 with participants bringing their own boats or renting at local outfitters. RSVP’s to this event are highly encouraged but not required. To sign up or get more information, visit ctriver.org or call 413-772-2020 ext.204. For more about the Paddlers’ Trail, visit www.ConnecticutRiverPaddlersTrail.org.
The Connecticut River Watershed Council works to protect the watershed from source to sea. As stewards of this heritage, we celebrate our four-state treasure and collaborate, educate, organize, restore and intervene to preserve its health for generations to come. Our work informs our vision of economic and ecological abundance. To learn more about CRC, or to make a contribution to help protect the Connecticut River, visit ctriver.org or call 413-772-2020, ext. 201.
###
CONTACT:
Angela Mrozinski, CRC Outreach & Events Dir, amrozinski@ctriver.org, 413-772-2020 ext.204, cell: 989-860-8337
Andrew Fisk, CRC Executive Director, afisk@ctriver.org, 413-772-2020 ext.208
Kristen Sykes, Appalachian Mountain Club, ksykes@outdoors.org, 617-391-6565
Noah Pollock, Vermont River Conservancy, noah@vermontriverconservancy.org
