Rest stops along the route provide opportunity for poking nets through weeds to get a look at and learn about macro-invertabrates, water chemistry, watershed history and wildlife.
For many kids, schooling conjures a vision of stuffy classrooms and rote memory drills.
But the new River School launched by the Friends of White River and the DNR has youngsters yearning to learn about riverine resources in Indianapolis.
On River School voyages, urban school groups float down the White River on the northside of Indianpolis in big bouncy rafts. Pulling the paddles and pointing out wildlife, instructors from DNR's Project WET, Project Wild and River Watch, and from the friends group, make the learning as easy as the river's autumn waters.
Rest stops along the route provide opportunity for poking nets through weeds to get a look at and learn about macro-invertabrates, water chemistry, watershed history and wildlife.
Students also learn about the massive fishery restoration effort undertaken by state government, Friends of White River and White River Rescue after the fish kill of 1999 caused by a chemical spill.
An initial course was run last fall, and the dedicated faculty plans a second session over two days this fall, with two schools per day running the riffles and pools between Broad Ripple and Rocky Ripple.
School guide Kevin Hardie from FOWR says engaging city kids with a vast natural resource in their neighborhoods will help the river and all of us in the long run.
"The kids see how to help the river, and how the river helps them," Hardie said.
More information:
www.fowr.org
www.IN.gov/dnr/education
