Jonah Center Moon Rise Paddle

Saturday, September 3
Launch time: at 5 p.m. from Harbor Park near the boathouses.


The Jonah Center for Earth and Art invites the public to an evening canoe and kayak paddle at high tide on the lower Mattabesset and Coginchaug Rivers, as well as the “Floating Meadows” where those two rivers converge. The tour departs from the boat ramp on the Connecticut River, next to Harbor Park in Middletown, on Saturday, September 3, at 5 p.m. Paddlers will return to the starting point between 7:30 and 8 p.m. A waxing crescent moon will be visible if the sky is clear.

Jim Sipperly, Environmental Resource Specialist and Certified Soil Scientist for the City of Middletown, will offer brief educational talks along the way. Paddlers will learn about the history of the area going back to the native Wangunk people; the nature of the watersheds that converge in this tidal marshland; the birds that feed on the wild rice; fish that migrate in and out of the meadows; recent negative impacts on these waters; and more. Trip leaders will hand out free laminated water trail guides to participants. The trip will include stops on Wilcox Island and on a sandbar in the Coginchaug.

Participants will be encouraged to pick up plastic bottles, cans, and other debris as part of the Jonah Center’s ongoing effort to beautify and protect our local waterways. Paddlers need to provide their own boats, paddles, and life jackets.

The event is free, and advance registration is not necessary. Call 860-398-3771 for more information or to ask about possible cancellation due to weather.