Wilmington, New York– The Ausable Freshwater Center (AFC) is launching its sixth year of guided watershed tours in the Ausable watershed and beyond. These tours are free to the public and include paddling, hiking, and other interpretive programs. Equipment is available to tour participants where possible.
“We are grateful to be able to offer these popular free tours for another year. These immersive experiences provide residents and visitors with the opportunity to better understand the Ausable and engage with the ecology of the watershed,” said Kelley Tucker, AFC Executive Director.
This year’s trips offer visitors the opportunity to experience a variety of sites throughout Ausable and neighboring watersheds. Tours include the return of popular programs and new additions upon request. Birdwatching and mushroom walks are back, as is a nature paddle tour on Lake Everest. New for 2024 are a geological tour of the watershed and more botany programs.
“It’s rewarding to be a part of getting so many people outside and educating them. These tours engage people of all ages in outdoor recreation and inspire participants to take an active role in caring for their local environment,” said Carolyn Koestner, Outreach Associate at AFC.
Ausable Freshwater Center’s free, guided watershed tours begin in mid-August with a nature paddle tour on Lake Everest and continue through the end of 2024. Tours are free, but advance registration is required.
For more information about AFC’s guided watershed tour program, tour dates, and online registration, visit ausableriver.org/events/river-tours.
This project was funded in whole or in part by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under support agreement (LC00A01141-0) with NEIWPCC in partnership with the Lake Champlain Basin Program.
Photo above: Boaters paddle on Lake Everest. Photo credit: Stephanie Rock/Placid Times Photography.
