Paddle with a purpose AND celebrate pride month together — help the Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) and the Friends of Lake Warner remove the invasive water chestnut from our waterways! For this free, 3-hour group paddle event we will be removing this plant together while enjoying each other's company on beautiful Lake Warner. Afterwards, join us for pizza, cider, and connections at Carr’s Cider House from 5:30-7pm! https://www.carrsciderhouse.com. Pre-registration 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 seed.

This event is a collaboration between Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC), Friends of Lake Warner, Pride Day on the River, and The Venture Out Project. CRC will provide a guided interactive program for participants to learn more about aquatic invasive species, the local watershed and safe paddling instruction for all experience levels. This is a fun, satisfying activity — combining paddling, teamwork, enjoying beautiful scenery and wildlife.

Each participant is required to register and consent to CRC’s liability waiver using the register button.

Bring your own canoe or kayak and personal flotation device (PFD), if you have one. If not, we have a limited number of foldable kayaks and canoe spots with paddles, and PFD's available to borrow on a first come first served basis. Please note that the max paddler height for the kayaks is 6'2" and the max paddler weight is 250 lbs.