Wanted: Patuxent ‘Expedition’ Teens

When school lets out for the summer, many high school students are undoubtedly planning all kinds of activities for their time off.

For some students it will mean participating in an expedition down the Patuxent River. Exploring the Patuxent, Teen Leadership Paddle offers high school students a chance to navigate the river, camp along the shore and learn about some of the issues facing the watershed. There are two opportunities to participate, one in late July and one in early August.

The five-day canoeing and camping trip along the Patuxent is organized by the staff at Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary. Elaine Frieble is the education coordinator for the sanctuary and said the program emphasizes leadership skills as well as environmental stewardship.

“The idea is to acquaint them with the Patuxent River and the natural history,” she said. “And the environmental issues pertaining to the Chesapeake Bay.”

The program is designed to help students develop skills in leadership and teamwork. “It gives them a chance to practice leadership skills along the way,” she said. “They kind of lead it themselves in a way,” she said.

Frieble said throughout the week students will travel over 15 miles by canoe and participate in various teambuilding exercises as they paddle down the river. They will also each have a chance to navigate and lead the group down the river. Students will also be collecting water samples for analysis during the trip said Frieble. The samples will be tested for nitrogen, phosphorus and dissolved oxygen levels as well as water turbidity.

Frieble explained that students who have participated in this event in the past have shared some common characteristics. “Certainly they are really interested in the environment,” she said. “They’re hard workers and they love the outdoors.”

Although no experience is required, Frieble suggested that participants know what to expect.

“Usually they have done some canoeing or kayaking and are comfortable around the water,” she said. “But they don’t have to be terribly experienced.”

The program is designed to give students the chance to get up close and personal with the Patuxent and to learn about the issues facing many of Maryland’s rivers. Frieble said this kind of experience is important for young people.

“I think there’s nothing more important than the hands on experience of being out in nature to make you really care about the environment and about the bay and the river,” she said.

When combined with the leadership element of the program, Frieble explained that the trip provides a well rounded learning experience that will serve these students long after they return to school in the fall. She said it’s a really great experience for any student interested in the environment.

“Through the week they develop a stewardship ethic,” she said. “And the leadership practice gives them the confidence they need to organize something or other people to help the earth.”

Students who are interested in participating in this event must register for one of the scheduled trips, either July 25 to July 29 or August 8 to 12.

The program costs $200 and scholarships are available for qualified individuals through the friends of Jug Bay.