Canoeing for Conservation: The Nature of Invasive Species

What are invasive species? How did they find their way into our waters and onto our shores? What can we do about them? And why does this conversation matter?

In the Lake Champlain Basin, the number of invasive species have been growing ever since the colonizing organisms made their way to the region. From crowding out native species to decreasing nutrient resources in the waterways, come learn about the effect of invasive species in our basin.

During this 2-hour on-water program, you will have a chance to take a deeper dive into the basics of invasive species: Which invasives are present in Lake Champlain today, how they became so invasive, and why reducing their presence is top of mind for lovers of our lake and of biodiversity. Come ready to ask questions and get to the bottom of how invasive species influence our lake!

This program uses the Museum’s fleet of canoes and participants should have at least a basic level of experience with canoeing. This program is best suited for those who feel they can get in and out of a canoe, which requires a sense of balance as well as sitting down into a low boat, and an ability to paddle for short distances. Children under 10 can take a middle seat at the bottom of the boat, where they will just go along for the ride with no paddling expectation.

Be sure to bring clothing that can get wet as well as water to stay hydrated. We will provide canoes, paddles and personal flotation devises (PFDs). We also recommend you bring a hat and sunscreen to stay protected from the sun. This program is weather-dependent and we will communicate cancellations the morning of the scheduled outing.