Calgary’s RiverWatch summer camps back on the water as Bow River levels lower

Campers on a raft in the Bow River in Calgary with RiverWatch summer camps.

It took until the middle of July, but RiverWatch summer camps are back on the Bow River, ready to immerses kids in Mother Nature.

Kids were taken out in rafts on Monday for the first this this summer which was delayed due to the Bow River’s high-water level. The environmental education camp teaches kids water quality testing, wildlife observation and watershed exploration.

“The whole objective here is to give kids the ability to experience the river, understand why it’s so important in our community (and) the science behind our watershed,” said RiverWatch executive director Jay Ball.

For the camp’s program and operations coordinator Rianne Hambly, the hope is for kids to “come away with super fun new experiences” and learn how “everything in nature is interconnected.”

“Hopefully they walk away with, some more appreciation and hopefully some passion to protect the environment,” she said.

The day starts off with games before kids get out in the rafts with a theme each day.

“We’ve got plants, bugs, animals and then we also have a canoe day on Wednesday,” Hambly said.

On Tuesday, campers took a raft by Pearce Estate Park, where they learned about the damage of the 2013 floods and what water levels would have looked like then.

For 11-year-old Avir Pahwa, he doesn’t mind learning while on summer break.

“They have taught me how much more there is to the Bow River than I thought there was,” Pahwa said.

Kids aged 10-15 can participate in the camp, which runs until the middle of August. Spots are still available, with more information linked here.