AUBURN — As the 16th annual Source to Sea Trek, sponsored by the Androscoggin River Watershed Council (ARWC), makes its way to Merrymeeting Bay, it will make a brief layover the Thursday, Aug. 4, in downtown Lewiston-Auburn.

In partnership with the Great Falls Paddling Society, the canoe and kayak program of the Androscoggin Land Trust (ALT), two events are being offered to get local residents and visitors out on the Androscoggin River in the heart of Maine’s second largest urban area.

Beginning Thursday morning, middle school-aged youth taking part in the city of Auburn’s Summer Camp program will be given an opportunity to learn to paddle a canoe in the section of the Androscoggin River between the Lewiston Falls Dam and Deer Rips Dam.

The section, offering relatively calm water, also parallels the city of Lewiston’s proposed Riverside Greenway Trail connecting Sunnyside Park to the David Rancourt River Preserve. Jeff Parsons, owner of Bethel Outdoor Adventure and Campground, is donating his services and the use of canoes and other gear for the youth.

“This program gives our campers a chance to go out and experience what the community has to offer on the outdoor recreation side. By taking part in this program, they get to enjoy a fun and educational activity right in their own backyard,” said Jeremy Gatcomb, Auburn Parks and Recreation Department rec leader.

When the business day comes to an end, ARWC and ALT, in partnership with the Young Professionals of the Lewiston-Auburn Area (YPLAA) invite paddling enthusiasts to meet them behind Festival Plaza in downtown Auburn with their boats for the second installment of Paddle After Hours, sponsored by Gritty’s and the Hilton Garden Inn. While YPLAA, a program of the Androscoggin County Chamber of Commerce, is partnering in promotion, the event is open to the public.

While the paddling distance is relatively short, a round-trip along the shores in the section offers an experience of the industrial revolution landscape of Lewiston-Auburn. ALT staff will lead a guided paddle and share the stories of how an area of the Androscoggin, once dominated by salmon runs and Native American activity, transitioned to a national powerhouse in textiles and shoes through the harnessing of the Androscoggin River and its canals.

For more information or to request access to a canoe, calls can be made to the Androscoggin Land Trust at 782-2302. On-line registrations for the Paddle After Hours are requested and can be done at www.arwc.camp7.org or by calling the Androscoggin River Watershed Council at 754-8158