For Immediate Release:
June 18, 2020
Contact: Janet Sweeney, POWR
Phone: 570-718-6507
Email: [email protected]
POWR announces 2020 Pennsylvania Sojourn Grant Awards
Luzerne – The Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2020 Pennsylvania River Sojourn Grants. These grants are awarded on a competitive basis.
The Pennsylvania Sojourn Program is administered by POWR in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. The PA Sojourn Program is nationally unique, distributing grants across the state to local organizations and their sojourn events. These grants support between 10 and 20 paddling events each year, encompassing over 500 river miles and 50+ on-the-water days, offering more than 100 educational programs, and engaging over 4,000 people.
Sojourns are not only a fun outdoor activity but are also an effective tool for raising awareness about our rivers and the issues affecting them, educating and enhancing community involvement about natural and cultural resources, and promoting and encouraging watershed stewardship. The Sojourn program serves as a bridge to bring our communities to our rivers and streams to educate them, enabling them to become lifelong stewards of these resources. River sojourns offer a different point of view on some of Pennsylvania’s treasured landscapes and historic and cultural assets.
While closely monitoring the developments regarding the coronavirus and the recommendations prescribed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as well as state and local officials and out of an abundance of caution and with the health and safety of all attendees in mind, certain events may be postponed or even cancelled. We strongly advise that you check the links to each organizations’ website below for the most up to date information on their sojourns.
2020 PA Sojourn Mini-Grantees:
Armstrong Center for Community Learning for the 23rd Annual Allie-Kiski-Connie Canoe Sojourn. A virtual event was held on May 16, 2020 and can be viewed here: https://www.armstrongcenter.org/sojourn/
Endless Mountains Heritage Region for the 2020 Heritage Youth Sojourn on the Susquehanna River – North Branch. Scheduled for September 24 through the 26, 2020.
Independence Seaport Museum for the Walnut2Walnut River Challenge on the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers. Scheduled for September 20, 2020
Jacobs Creek Watershed Association for the Jacobs Creek Lazy River Float Day on Jacobs Creek. Scheduled for June 27, 2020.
Lackawanna River Corridor Association for the Riverfest 2020 on the Lackawanna River. Scheduled for September 26, 2020.
Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy for the Perkiomen Creek Sojourn on the Perkiomen Creek. Scheduled for September 12, 2020.
Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy for the Perki-Bay Youth Expedition on the Upper Delaware River. Scheduled for June 22 through the 26, 2020.
Schuylkill River Greenway Association for the Schuylkill River Sojourn on the Schuylkill River. Scheduled for August 15 through the 19, 2020.
Susquehanna Greenway Partnership for the Susquehanna Float and Films Sojourn on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River Water Trail. Scheduled for August 8, 2020.
Upper Delaware Preservation Coalition for the 2020 Delaware River Sojourn “Focus on Fish” on the Delaware River. Check their website for details of sojourn or virtual events.
Wayne Conservation District for the 2020 Pike Wayne Conservation Partnership Virtual Sojourn on the Delaware River. Video will be posted on or prior to August 31st, 2020. Check their website for details.
Wildlands Conservancy for the Lehigh River Sojourn on the Lehigh River. Rescheduled to the Fall of 2020. Scheduled for September 19 through the 21, 2020.
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About POWR
POWR, an affiliate of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, administers the Pennsylvania Sojourn program. POWR has been in place for over a decade and has sponsored trips on many of the Commonwealth’s rivers. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR) is the prime sponsor of the program.