Thanks to grant funding from the National Park Service and the Chesapeake Bay Trust, ShoreRivers will be able to offer all of this year’s Watershed Discovery Expeditions at no charge. Expeditions are immersive, small-group experiences that can be anything from a kayak on a local creek to a tour exploring history or ecology — and anything in between! For a full list of offerings, and to register, visit shorerivers.org/events.
ShoreRivers is pleased to announce that it has been awarded grants from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the National Park Service through its Chesapeake Gateways Program to expand and fully fund its Watershed Discovery Expeditions program. These awards will allow ShoreRivers to collaborate with more than 15 regional partners to offer immersive, mission-driven expeditions to communities across Maryland’s Eastern Shore at no cost to the participants.
As part of this expanded vision, ShoreRivers is deepening collaboration with its equity partners, including the Bellevue Passage Museum, Kennard African American Cultural Heritage Center, and the Harriet Tubman Freedom Center. These partnerships elevate the impact of each organization’s work while drawing on their specialized expertise to illuminate the cultural histories and perspectives that shape our shared connection to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
ShoreRivers is also partnering with regional hospitality leaders to highlight the connection between eco-recreation, economic vitality, and clean water. Collaborations with Kent Island Resort; the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Golf Resort, Spa and Marina; Chesapeake Water Tours; and River City Cruise Co. demonstrate how healthy waterways sustain tourism, support local businesses, and provide meaningful public access to our rivers.
In addition to public offerings, ShoreRivers will customize select expeditions for community groups that may not otherwise have access to on-the-water experiences, expanding engagement across diverse audiences. These partners include Minary’s Dream Alliance, Defensores de la Cuenca, and International Families of Talbot County Public Schools.
“Our Watershed Discovery Expeditions have become one of ShoreRivers’ most meaningful ways to connect with our community and with local partners, providing small-group, hands-on access to our waterways through immersive experiences that reflect our mission to protect and restore our rivers,” said Maegan White, Senior Community Engagement Coordinator. “We at ShoreRivers believe that access to waterways fuels environmental stewardship and that inclusion of diverse communities is essential to long-term success, and thanks to this generous funding we’re now able to make sure our expeditions better reflect that vision.”
Each of these expeditions will highlight the history, ecology, and cultural heritage of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Programs include tracing the water routes of Harriet Tubman, exploring the oyster fishery aboard a traditional skipjack, learning about underwater grasses and water quality, observing nesting ospreys, and paddling through accessible town centers to explore the connections between waterways, commerce, and recreation. Many are free and open to the public, though advance registration is required. A full schedule and registration details can be found at shorerivers.org/events.
NPS Chesapeake Gateways offers competitive grant opportunities to advance the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act of 1998 within the full 41-million-acre Chesapeake Bay watershed. Chesapeake Gateways grants inspire and help people discover, experience, and connect with Chesapeake Places and Experiences across its rivers, landscapes, and communities to enhance stewardship, heritage, and outdoor tourism economies throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
CBT is a nonprofit, grant-making organization dedicated to improving the bays, streams, rivers, forests, parks, and other natural resources of our local systems, from the Chesapeake to the Coastal Bays to the Youghiogheny River. Since 1985, the Trust has awarded over $190 million in grants to municipalities, nonprofit organizations, schools, and public agencies throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.