Greenfield, MA— For four months over 60 intrepid river adventurers scoured the Connecticut River watershed in search of clues to solve for Connecticut River Conservancy’s first scavenger hunt, Quest65: A River Adventure. CRC offered this adventure to create an opportunity for players, or Questers, to both explore the river and all that it has to offer and honor the agency’s 65-year history of advocating for clean and healthy rivers.

With an impressive list of 65+ things to find, see and do—from the source of the river at the Connecticut Lakes on the Vermont/Canada border, down to the mouth of the river at Long Island Sound—Quest65 asked players to visit river museums and historic sites; travel by river ferry, river boat or riverside train; see beautiful river art and bridges; swim, boat or picnic on the river; explore the rare riverfront castle and so much more! Players used a smartphone-based app made by Eventzee to read about each clue and “solve” them by taking selfies in the location of the respective clues.

According to Quester Renee MacKay, this year’s Grand Prize winner, “I liked the fun & competition that the quest challenge created, for me and my fellow questers. I love scavenger hunts, so this was a blast to participate in. I enjoyed learning more about the CT River Watershed & its tributaries. I especially enjoyed rowing with Andy on the CT River from Holyoke to Springfield this summer, which is how I found out about the Quest.”

CRC is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Quest, who ventured out this summer and fall and battled it out for the following fabulous prizes, generously donated by each vendor.

And the winners are …

Grand Prize: Renee MacKay, Overnight stay for 2 at the Snapdragon Inn in Windsor, VT with tour of the Silo Distillery
2nd Prize: Tony Judge and granddaughter Madeline, Handmade canoe paddle by Ira Curtis, Luthier and custom woodworker, and Fishing tackle box from Cabelas
3rd Prize: Marcia Bernard, Ride on the RiverQuest in Haddam, CT and gift card to the People’s Pint in Greenfield, MA

4th Prize: Robin Shtulman, Brunch for 2 at Saybrook Point Inn in Old Saybrook, CT and Learn to Ski with the Oxbow Water Ski Team in Easthampton, MA

Momentum is already building for designing future Quests. “This was a lot of fun! We’re really excited by the energy and enthusiasm for Quest65 and the watershed and are eager to make it an annual event,” says CRC Director Andy Fisk.

Stay tuned for information about next summer’s Quest!

Since 1952, Connecticut River Conservancy has been the voice for the Connecticut River watershed, from source to sea. We collaborate with partners across four states to protect and advocate for your rivers and educate and engage communities. We bring people together to prevent pollution, improve habitat, and promote enjoyment of your river and its tributary streams. Healthy rivers support healthy economies. To learn more about CRC, or to make a contribution to help protect the Connecticut River, visit ctriver.org.

Images, left to right: Robin MacKay, “Find Your Muse,” Tony Judge, “Castles Made of Sand,” Marcia Bernard, “Cross the River by Bike”

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