Paddle with a purpose — help us remove the invasive water chestnut from our waterways!

Join the Connecticut River Conservancy with the Windham Conservation District in pulling water chestnut from the Connecticut River near Rockingham, VT! Volunteers will be trained on aquatic introduced (invasive) plant identification and proper removal protocols. No prior experience is required!

Water chestnut is a harmful aquatic, invasive species, which is known to take over stretches of water. When left unchecked, water chestnut has the potential to decimate ecosystems and eliminate recreational opportunities. Fortunately, it is easily identifiable and smaller infestations can be managed with trained volunteers hand-pulling the plant. The key to keeping water chestnut from invading new areas is to remove plants before they have a chance to set seeds.

Bring your kayak or canoe (with life preserver/PFD) and we will provide you with removal gear, water, and some snacks. Don't own a kayak or canoe? Borrow one from the Windham Conservation District by signing up through their site: https://www.windhamcountynrcd.org/kayak-for-conservation.

At each session, we will start by sharing how to identify water chestnut, remove it safely and how to clean your boats. After this, we will prepare our watercraft and survey our sites in Rockingham. Participants are encouraged to join us on the water for at least one hour, however, surveys can last up to 4 hours depending on the number of volunteers.

If you are interested in joining, please register here. If you need to borrow a boat, please fill out the Windham Conservation District form as well: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKckfZHuesh4PmpzDjxnVQJS8bh3ikY2eiH2KQQIJi5gkwLw/viewform.

Note: Schedule is subject to change due to weather. Updates will be emailed to participants that sign up.

Need to know

Bring:

• Hat

• Sunscreen

• Water

• An extra layer for chilly weather

• Clothes that can get wet and dirty (and a change of clothes in the car just in case)

• Closed-toed shoes or water shoes (no Crocs or flip-flops but secured sandals are ok)

• Personal kayak or canoe unless you signed up to borrow one from WCNRCD PFD (there are some available on site if you don’t have one)

• Optional: work gloves (example, gardening gloves).

Should you have any questions or concerns, please email kbeerman@ctriver.org or call 802-318-1390.