The Ausable River Association (AsRA) has announced free guided paddling, hiking, and interpretive programs in the Ausable and Boquet watersheds set for this spring and summer.
This year’s programs include 10 trips to lesser-known corners of the Ausable and Boquet watersheds. New for 2021 are an art and ecology workshop, waterfall hike, underwater mussel exploration, interpretive history tour, and women’s fly-fishing clinic.
The art and ecology tour, titled Drawing Your Watershed, will teach participants about the botanical diversity of the Ausable watershed with artist and biologist Cris Winters. Along the way, participants will draw the natural world with simple materials including pencil, pen, and watercolor pencil.
The underwater mussel exploration, led by accomplished photographer and birder Dr. Larry Master, will use unique underwater viewing buckets that allow participants to look at aquatic life without being immersed in the water. On the paddling trip to the mussel viewing site, Master will also point out birds and mammals common in the Boquet watershed.
Returning guided tours include a birding walk, moth and bat research night, tree identification hike, Adirondack Riverwalking experience, and paddling trip on Lake Everest. Dr. Larry Master will lead the birding walk at Ausable Marsh and the moth and bat research night.
The tree identification tour will be led by Ed Kanze, expert naturalist and Adirondack author with more than thirty years’ experience leading walks in wild places. An AsRA staff member will accompany all of the tours to provide a first-hand look into the work they do around the watershed, including environmental DNA, water quality testing, and ways to enjoy the outdoors while leaving the least amount of impact.
AsRA’s free, guided programs will take place on weekends beginning May 22nd and ending on September 12th. More information, including program dates and registration information can be found on the Ausable River Association website.
Photo of Ausable River Association guided paddle provided.
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