RIVER RANGERSSM: Summer Canoeing & Learning Program
RIVER RANGERSSM PADDLE THE NAVESINK & SWIMMING RIVERS IN COLORFUL WOODEN CANOES!
RIVER RANGERS IS BACK FOR 2024!
Click on the week of your choice to complete the Registration and Payment process.
Available! Sold Out!
Put your children/grandchildren (age 10-14) into colorful wooden canoes and onto the water for five mornings during the summer. There are typically 2-3 weeks to choose from in July and August. The program runs each week Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM - 1:30PM.
As River Rangers, they will explore the Navesink and Swimming Rivers, enjoy paddling, swimming, and learning something of the on-water and under-water life while having fun!
Canoes, life vests, paddles, and qualified, experienced adult supervision are all part of the package. Just add your children!
Note that each canoe has a capacity of 225 lbs.
If you wish to get on the email list for River Rangers and other NMHA event notices, please sign up for the NMHA Newsletter HERE
Navesink Maritime Heritage Association has offered the River Rangers program each summer since 2004 and won awards for the program. Certified teachers have many years' experience managing River Rangers on the water.
Each year, NMHA offers several weeks to choose from, with up to 20 paddlers each week. Participants must be able to swim.
-
NMHA does not provide transportation to the starting (put-in) locations or from the ending (take-out) locations. Parents/guardians receive detailed joining instructions and a put-in and take-out schedule a week before the start date. Locations vary each day depending upon the tides.
These are the weeks for 2024
Click on your chosen week to complete the registration and payment process.
Available! Sold Out!
The History of River Rangers
After NMHA built a number of wooden canoes during its Community Boat Building events in the late 1990's, it became apparent that most participants could not make use of their canoes due to lack of river access and/or boating experience.
In 2002, NMHA organized the first Eco-Trip for Community Boat Building participants. This one-day canoe trip started on the Swimming River near Route 520 and ended at the Monmouth Boat Club. The paddlers were accompanied by experienced canoers and a local naturalist.
Just like the boat building programs, NMHA realized that trips like these were powerful settings for experiential education, but they needed some support and guidance. So NMHA developed a curriculum that resulted in the River Rangers program, which has been in continuous operation since 2004.
There is great variety and flexibility in these 5-day programs that use the brightly painted wooden canoes (with designs and painting by children and adults). Up to 20 children and two experienced counselors/instructors explore the Navesink and Swimming Rivers and Shadow Lake over the five mornings they are on the water.
NMHA owns a custom trailer that transports supplies for an entire River Rangers group, to and from the various river locations: canoes, paddles, life jackets, and materials.
NMHA is available to consult on the development of customized River Rangers programs for other community and school organizations.
River Rangers is a multiday exploration program of the Navesink River and its inlets using canoes provided by NMHA. The instructors are fully qualified (CPR, Life Saving, etc) adult local teachers.
Kids who sign up will have a five-day on-the-water experience not to be forgotten.