At 9 a.m. Saturday, July 5, there will be a Source to the Sea pre-paddle to celebrate the Fourth of July with the Errol, N.H. Chamber of Commerce. The trip leader is Steve Wight and the put-in is at Steamer Diamond north of Errol on Route 16, also known as Dam Road. Participants will paddle to an eagle’s nest and back.

 

The Source to the Sea, hosted by the Androscoggin River Watershed Council, starts Friday, July 11, with an evening paddle at the Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge north of Errol, N.H. 

Continuing as a series of day trips, paddlers will meander through northern New Hampshire and Western Maine before ending Aug. 10 at Brunswick Park where the river enters Merrymeeting Bay.

Paddlers can join the trip for one day, several days or all days, Becky Secrest, event coordinator, said Thursday afternoon in Bethel. Participation is free for paddlers; however, a voluntary, tax-deductible donation of $10 is requested to support the nonprofit Androscoggin River Watershed Council in offsetting the costs of organizing the event.

Participants should bring their own paddle-powered boats, appropriate gear, and lunch. River guides will be provided by the Watershed Council and shuttle arrangements determined each day of the event.

This year’s theme is Healthy Environment —Healthy Lifestyle.

Highlights include evening paddles, healthy foods, family days, music, hiking — yes, hiking and not portaging with vessels — stand-up paddle board, as well as educational sessions on native plant species, fish habitat, ornithology, weather, aquatic insects, healthy nutrition and river ecology, Secrest said.

“In addition, we have planned several family days where we will have a few boats available to try for those folks who have not had the paddling experience,” she said. “We do ask people to preregister for this event as there are a limited number of kayaks available.”

Anyone interested in paddling any section of the river can register for the event on the Androscoggin River Watershed Council website, www.androscogginwatershed.org, which has a full list of each day’s event.

It also provides continuous updates of new and changing information related to the event, Secrest said. The Watershed Council can also accept donations online to support Source to the Sea and the council’s other programs.

In the past, the event was called the Source to the Sea Trek. This year, however, the council dropped ‘Trek,’ believing that it made the trip intimidating for some participants, Ferg Lea, council chairman, said Wednesday by email.

“We decided that ‘trek’ might be a little off-putting for some folks who might enjoy getting out on the river,” Lea said.

“Our thinking was that when we called it a trek, participants said, ‘Oh gosh, 20 days!’” Secrest said. “Source to the Sea doesn’t sound intimidating. A lot of the legs are really easy paddles and we didn’t want anyone to be turned off.”

She said the busiest legs in terms of participants are the Upper Androscoggin from New Hampshire to Hanover, Rumford, Mexico and Dixfield. Wildlife highlights include lots of bald eagle sightings the whole length of the event.

“The river has become a hunting ground for bald eagles,” Secrest said.

Paddlers tend to favor kayaks, although last year, one participant used a stand-up paddle board. She said Cherry Pond and water on the Rumford leg is calm enough to use such a vessel.

New this year are four hikes: Rancourt Preserve in Auburn, the paper mill walk in Lisbon, Androscoggin State Park in Turner or Greene, and the Jasper Mountain Trail in Berlin, N.H. Secrest said the hikes were added to fit the theme of Healthy Lifestyle because the council received funding from a betterment group, whose focus is to be more active.

“We thought some hikes would be a great way to see the river, and a lot of people may not be comfortable in a boat or paddling,” she said.

The council also added a leg for experienced paddlers only because of lots of rapids from Pontook Dam to Boffinger on July 16 in New Hampshire.

The nonprofit Androscoggin River Watershed Council was founded in 1999 with a mission to continuously improve environmental quality and promote healthy and prosperous communities in the Androscoggin River Watershed.

For more information, contact Secrest at 207-754-8158 or[email protected] or visit the council website atwww.androscogginwatershed.org or via Facebook atwww.facebook.com/androrwc.

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Source to the Sea schedule

July 11 — Evening paddle Umbagog Wildlife Refuge.

July 12 — Erroll, N.H., to 7 Islands Bridge.

July 13 — 7 Islands Bridge to Pontook Dam.

July 16 — Pontook Dam to Boffinger (for experienced paddlers only) and/or Hike Mt. Jasper in Berlin.

July 17 — Evening paddle, Nansen Wayside to Berlin, N.H.

July 18 — Shelburne, N.H., to Gilead, Maine.

July 19 — Gilead to Bethel.

July 20 — Bethel to Hanover.

July 23 — Hike Step Falls.

July 24 — Hanover to Rumford: Family Day.

July 25 — Mexico to Dixfield.

July 26 — Dixfield to Canton.

July 27 — Canton to Riley Dam in Jay to Canton: Family Day.

July 30 — Livermore Falls to Twin Bridges in Turner.

July 31 — After-hours paddle in Otis Mill.

Aug. 1 — Twin Bridges to Center Bridge.

Aug. 2 — Center Bridge to Cherry Pond: Family Day.

Aug. 3 — Auburn to Auburn with a hike in Rancourt Preserve.

Aug. 7 — Paddle after hours in Auburn.

Aug. 8 — Durham to Lisbon Falls.

Aug. 9 — Topsham to Brunswick.

Aug. 10 — Brunswick around the islands and back: Family Day.