Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper Volunteer Training Comes to Cornwall

On the evening of Wednesday, April 20th, members of the public are being extended an invitation to become a Riverkeeper volunteer on the St. Lawrence River. Kayakers, fisherpersons, boaters, and shoreline homeowners are being invited to come out to Schnitzels in Cornwall and learn what they can do to make a difference for the health of the St. Lawrence River. The St. Lawrence is one of the longest rivers in the world, thus the name Big River given to it in Mohawk. As an international waterway the River has suffered significant environmental stressors. Impacts delivered by industrial pollution, storm water, agricultural run-off, shipping, as well as large scale development have taken a toll over the decades.

Significant locally based research and restoration efforts have been underway to identify and address the major issues. Today, as a result, we are beginning to see some improvement. However, there are always new concerns coming down the pipe. Problems such as marine spills, invasive species, microplastics, failing waste water infrastructure, chemicals, storm water, climate change, as well as pharmaceuticals present new challenges.

A new international group based in Cornwall, The Upper St. Lawrence River Protection Network, is bringing together groups, organizations, agencies, and individuals who are invested in the protection of this Great River so that our waters can be drinkable, fishable, swimmable, and sustainable for many generations to come. Upcoming projects proposed for 2016 include community-wide St. Lawrence River clean-ups, River information forums, along with this special Riverkeeper Training Session.

Guest presenters for this workshop are members of the River Protection Network. The Upper St. Lawrence Riverkeeper or as they are more often known, “Save The River,” from Clayton, New York in the Thousand Islands have been a respected voice and advocate for the health of the St. Lawrence River and the right to clean water from Cape Vincent to the Massena / Cornwall area for 40 years. Save The River regularly presents Riverkeeper volunteer training sessions in both Canada and the U.S. and over the years they have trained hundreds of Riverkeeper volunteers who are now working together to protect the St. Lawrence River. On Wednesday, April 20th at 6:30 pm they are bringing this training to Schnitzels in Cornwall.

Participants who care about the River will want to register for this free session. Registrants will be trained to assess potential pollution problems and to effectively report these problems to the appropriate agencies. They will also receive information to recognize wildlife die-offs and identify invasive species as well as the subtle changes in the River that may indicate both negative and positive impacts to this important, fragile, and already stressed ecosystem. Attending this 2 hour-long training session provides participants with the basic tools to become a valuable partner in protecting the River. All participants will be given Save The River’s valuable Riverkeeper Volunteer Identification Guide. This training is free and open to the general public.

The Session is held at Schnitzels European Flavours and is free but space is limited. If you would like more information or to register please call Karen Cooper at (613) 936-6620 or e-mail [email protected].