Pennsylvania's 2004 River Sojourn Events Announced
Initial Press Release for the 2004 sojourn season will be going out to various sources this week. You can read it here and now.

"River Sojourns are multi-day paddling trips for all skill levels on Pennsylvania’s waterways that highlight environmental issues, recreational opportunities, community events, and social interaction. Twelve Sojourns will take place from May through July, with a season ending event at Ohiopyle in September.

Swatara Creek >> May 1 - May 2
Allegheny-Kiskiminetas-Conemaugh Rivers >> May 20 - May 23
Clarion River >> May 21 - May 22
Schuylkill River >> June 5 - June 11
Delaware River >> June 7 - June 14
Stonycreek and Kiskiminetas-Conemaugh Rivers >> June 10 - June 13
Juniata River >> June 12 - June 19
Youghiogheny River >> June 20 - June 26
North Branch Susquehanna (River of the Year) >> June 23 - June 30
Lehigh River >> June 25 - June 28
Allegheny River (W&S Corridor) >> July 8 - July 10
Ohiopyle Over the Falls Event >> Sept 9 - Sept 12

Pennsylvania’s 2004 featured “River of the Year,” the North Branch of the Susquehanna, was praised for its natural beauty and ecological importance by Pennsylvania Secretary of Conservation and Natural Resources Michael DiBerardinis. The headwaters of the North Branch enter Pennsylvania near Sayre in Bradford County, and continue through Wyoming County, before joining the Susquehanna River around Pittston and West Pittston in Luzerne County.

“More than just a paddling trip, Sojourns are a tool for educating and helping people view their water resources in a new way”, says Frank Raymond Cetera, Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers’ (POWR) Watershed Programs Coordinator.

Each Sojourn is different in the type of programming available, and the logistics of the paddling trip. All include environmental education. In the past, programs included “The Fascinating Lives of French Creek Mussels” or “John James Audubon’s Visit to the Great Pine Swamp”. Also often included are local music, hands-on projects such as macro-invertebrate insect identification and river clean-ups, recreational opportunities such as boat testing, and community events such as the “Saltsburg Canal Days” festival.

Sojourns are perfect family trips too, as they cater to all age and skill levels. Most registration fees are all inclusive in regard to meals and lodging (which is usually tenting out). And safety is a premiere concern, with full safety teams to inform, educate, and guide sojourners down each waterway.

For more information, visit www.pawatersheds.org,; or contact POWR at 717-234-7910, sojourns@pawatersheds.org. The 2004 PA River Sojourn Season is supported by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources; and Rocky Mountain kayaks."

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- posted by frank cetera @ 10:06 AM

 
Swatara Sojourn Date Change
Please note that the date for the 2004 Swatara Sojourn has been moved from May 8 - 9, to May 1 - 2. The Swatara Sojourn stands out for it's yearly river clean-up efforts. This is a chance for you as a sojourner, to get out and make a difference as you paddle the Swatara and learn about its history, geology, and environmental legacy. Leave some room in your boat for litter picked up along the way, you might even find a lost treasure or two, like the near-new basketball my boat mate pulled out last year. And you might try to beat last years tire removal total that almost topped 100!
- posted by frank cetera @ 3:36 PM

 
Thanks for your interest in Pennsylvania River Sojourns. You are now reading the first entry in the 2004 River Sojourns Blog. A "blog" is short for weblog, and is an online journal that will keep you updated throughout the season on sojourn trips, news, views, and stories. If you want to contribute, send me an email at fcetera@pawatersheds.org, and I'll post your tales. In the meantime, keep checking back for updates as we develop this site.
- Frank Raymond Cetera, POWR Watershed Programs Coordinator

- posted by frank cetera @ 3:31 PM