Iowa Project Aware Education Programs - July 13

Join Project A.W.A.R.E. to help clean up a river for a day, the whole week, or anywhere in between. Paddle up to 20 miles a day, loading trash into your canoe as you paddle. After a long day of cleaning the river, volunteers gather in camp to enjoy educational programs that broaden watershed awareness and strengthen community understanding. There also will be interactive activities where participants can improve their outdoor skills and get hands-on experience with water quality testing and nature identification. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend in-camp programs requiring no registration. Daily registration fees for on-river cleanup include catered meals, canoes, and paddles. Tent camping areas provide each night of the journey. Cleanup will be from approximately 9AM-4PM. For more information or to register online for on-river cleanup, visit https://www.iowaprojectaware.org or facebook.com/iaprojectaware  

July 13, 2025
2:00 pm – Afternoon Campground Programs (East Park, Mason City)

o   Knots for Paddlers – Jeff White (Skunk River Paddler and AWARE Volunteer)        
         Learn the most useful paddling knots and receive a free 8-foot bow line. Practice!

3:00 pm – Afternoon Campground Programs (East Park, Mason City)

o   Canoes Skills and Safety Clinic - Shelly Weeks, Jim Dodd, Cindy Barrowcliff, Diane and Ken Birt (Iowa Project AWARE Volunteers)        
         Learn the basics of paddling and learn new skills. This clinic is for folks that have never put a paddle in the water and for folks that would like to improve their paddling skills. Two sessions will be held at 2:30 and 5:30 pm. Each session can have up to 20 people.

o   What Lies Beneath: Geological Wonders of the Winnebago and Shell Rock Watersheds - Ryan Clark (Iowa Geological Survey)        
         The geology of north-central Iowa possesses a wide variety of interesting terranes. The Devonian-aged bedrock hosts world-class marine fossils, and the much older Precambrian-aged Midcontinent Rift System is a potential source for natural hydrogen. This presentation will cover all aspects of the geology of the Winnebago and Shell Rock River watersheds.

o   Craft a Mug Jacket - Barb Petersen-Benjegerdes (Iowa Project AWARE Volunteer) 

         Create a special felt jacket for your new favorite mug! All materials will be provided including a metal mug. You are welcome to bring your own mug if you prefer.

 4:00 pm – Afternoon Campground Programs (East Park, Mason City)

o   Floating the Mississippi for a Cause - Hank Kohler (Lifelong Paddler)

        Follow the adventure of canoeing the Mississippi from western Minnesota to the gulf while raising funds for conservation education. The journey started from the same lake where 42 years earlier Hank began an adventure to Hudson Bay

o   Bugs and Water Quality - Kierra Determan (State Hygienic Laboratory at the University of Iowa)

        Come take a close-up look at the bugs that inhabit Iowa’s rivers and streams! Get familiar with some of the benthic macroinvertebrates you might see as you paddle and learn what they indicate about water quality!

 5:30 pm – Afternoon Campground Programs (East Park, Mason City)

o   Canoe Skills and Safety Clinic - Glenn Harman (Iowa DNR Certified Instructor) Shelly Weeks, Jim Dodd, Cindy Barrowcliff, Diane and Ken Birt (Iowa Project AWARE Volunteers)

7:00 pm – Welcome and Introductions