The Alabama Extension Program, Auburn University and Alabama Scenic River Trail celebrate partnership

PRATTVILLE, Ala. (WAKA) – The Alabama Extension Program, Auburn University and Alabama Scenic River Trail were in Prattville yesterday to celebrate their partnership, which includes getting children on the water through RiverKids.

The 4-H RiverKids program serves many counties in our area. Yesterday’s event was to recognize RiverKids, offer thanks to the volunteers, and encourage other counties and communities to volunteer or add RiverKids to their area.

RiverKids works to connect children and families with nature, giving them hands-on experiences, so they can enjoy Alabama’s rivers, creeks, and lakes. The organization operates in 35 counties, teaching paddling and water safety skills along more than 1,000 miles of freshwater.

“Our goal is really to make water as accessible as it possibly can be for anyone that wants to be able to get out there and enjoy it,” Andrew Symanski, the executive director of The Alabama Scenic River Trail told Action 8 News. “We have been doing that through grant programs that help improve some of our launch sites and areas around the state. We also do this by partnering with programs like 4-H to help get more young people taught about the ways of paddling, and we also provide some other grants that help increase the number of actual boats that we have out across the state in communities that don’t have access to them.

“Last year, one of our groups in the Wiregrass area, for instance, took youth out and were identifying macroinvertebrates in the Pea River. We also had a group in Monroe County travel to Sepulga River and went hunting for fossils, so there’s a lot of education that is accompanying just learning the basic paddling skills and water safety,” Emily Nichols, natural resources extension specialist, said.

Anyone looking to get involved in RiverKids can contact the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. CLICK HERE to learn more.