Kalamazoo River Youth Experience (KRYE)

Summary

This project brings together several partners in Kalamazoo and the Kalamazoo River watershed to create and implement a “Kalamazoo River Youth Experience” outdoor recreation-based education and outreach program for low-income youth and their parents/guardians living in the watershed. The goal is to help address inequities in the understanding, use and enjoyment of the Kalamazoo River among all watershed residents. The program includes organized paddle trips, river environment and safe recreation education programming, virtual tours of sections of the Kalamazoo River accessible from a desktop or laptop computer, production of a Kalamazoo River children’s book written by local Kalamazoo author Daphne Len Ben, and diversity, equity, and inclusion training for river engagement and watershed leaders. Our goal is that this project will help establish the foundational relationships, approaches, and support needed to allow the program to be offered every year in communities throughout the watershed.

Learn more about the program here!

KRYE Details

Our Kalamazoo River Youth Experience education sessions and paddle trips are offered to participating groups at no cost. We work with other programs and organizations serving middle to high school youth. Our goal is to help connect area youth, their leaders, and their families to safe nature and outdoor recreation experiences made possible by the Kalamazoo River. We know that creating positive, educational Kalamazoo River experiences will develop a lifetime of better environmental wellness for individuals and communities, while also fostering a new generation of river stewards. Transportation, food, equipment, and swag is provided. In general, we offer a series of three sessions: one indoor introductory educational session and two paddle trips that can be on local lakes, on different segments of the Kalamazoo River, or a combination of lake and river trips depending on the comfort level of participating groups. Each paddle trip includes a time of instruction and reflection about nature and the river, along with the chance to develop paddling skills and explore our waterways. Our programming is designed to be flexible, however, so we can help meet the unique needs of our participating groups. Safety is prioritized by requiring that life-vests be worn at all time near the water, and by having multiple experienced kayakers and first aid/CPR trained leaders present. Contact us to explore a Kalamazoo River Youth Experience program that works best for your group (contact information below).

View Groups That Have Participated

Open Roads Bike Program
El Concilio
STREET
Escape Ministries
Douglass Community Association
Institute of Public Scholarship
KEYS

Tour the Kalamazoo River Virtually

Experience paddling different stretches of the Kalamazoo River through our Virtual Tours made possible our partnership with Fishviews, Inc. (Earthviews).

View “Things to See on the Kalamazoo River” Video

Things to See On The Kalamazoo River

Video clips from Kayaking on Different Parts of the Kalamazoo River

Kalamazoo River Youth Experience playlist on the KRWC YouTube Channel

View Podcast Interview about KRYE

Connecting Communities Podcast Interview: January 9, 2025

Link to Audio

Link to Video

KRYE Partners

Kalamazoo Nature Center
WaterTrail Ventures
Plainwell Kayak Company
The City of Kalamazoo
Books By Daphne Len Ben
Fishviews, Inc. (Earthviews)
Society for History and Racial Equity (SHARE)
Kalamazoo Parks

Project Funding

This NPS Pollution Control project has been funded wholly or in part through the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy’s Nonpoint Source Program with Watershed Council grant funding under assistance agreement 2023-0244 to Kalamazoo River Watershed Council for the Kalamazoo River Youth Experience project. The contents of the program do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, nor does the mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. Additional funding to expand the project to more groups was provided by Stryker Corporation.

Program Photos:

Youth Testimony:

Angel “Antonio” R

“I had a really great time kayaking. I was very scared at first because of a bad experience in the past, but I am happy that Doug helped me and now I am not scared.”

“I learned a lot about the history of the Kalamazoo River on this trip. It was also nice to look at all of the greenery and to ride in a canoe with my younger brother. Thanks for the chance to paddle the river.”

“I very much enjoyed paddling the river with the crew. The guides were very helpful and gave us a lot of interesting information about the role of the river in our lives. Seeing the wildlife, especially the birds, was awesome.”

Interested in Receiving Programming for your Group?

Please reach out to:

Bela Ballez: programs@kalamazooriver.org

Doug McLaughlin: krwc@kalamazooriver.org