Paddlers are needed to help remove invasive water chestnut (Trapa natans) from the Connecticut River and its tributaries this spring and summer. It’s a fun, social, and very rewarding form of outdoor recreation.

Mike Thomas gives a thumbs up during a “paddle with a purpose” work party in the Floating Meadows, a spectacular freshwater tidal marshland between Middletown and Cromwell.
Let us know you plan to participate in any of the events below or receive updates on future paddles at other locations by sending your name and email address here to let us know you are a paddler. Also, let us know if you wish to borrow a kayak from the Connecticut River Conservancy. Registration with CRC is required to reserve a kayak. To receive schedule updates, last-minute weather-related changes, and other environmental news, please subscribe to the Jonah Center Newsletter.
Below are dates and times for work parties in Middletown’s Floating Meadows, launching from 185 Johnson Street. (Note: more paddlers will be needed for the later dates listed, as plants emerge over time.) Some paddlers may opt to be out on the water for 2 hours or slightly more, but that is a long time for most people to sit in a kayak. There are few or no places to get out and stretch in this area since it is a marshland. Paddlers should return to the launch site whenever they wish. 1 to 1.5 hours on the water is a good amount of time for most people.
Saturday, June 3, 9-11:30 a.m. (Low tide, work party with CRC staff)
Saturday, June 10, 9-11:30 a.m. (High tide, major work party)
Saturday, June 17 9-11:30 a.m. (Low tide, work party with CRC staff)
Saturday, June 24, 9-11:30 a.m. (High tide, major work party)
Saturday, June 31, 9-11:30 a.m. (Low tide, work party with CRC staff)
Saturday, July 8, 9-11:30 a.m. (High tide, major work party)
Pre-registration for any of these events is requested at the CRC website here, but to be sure you get any changes of plans, make sure you are on the Jonah Center newsletter/paddler list by sending us a message here.
Note: On Saturdays with “low tide” in the morning, launching may be muddier and the water may not look as clean. But we encourage paddlers to help on “low tide” events because we need to remove as many plants as possible before mid-July.
Paddle With A Purpose work parties will be scheduled at other locations once initial survey work has taken place to determine where plants are emerging. Subscribe to the Jonah Center newsletter to receive special paddle updates as plans are made.
Work parties organized elsewhere in Connecticut and Massachusetts by the Connecticut River Conservancy can be viewed here. Continue reading