Riverkeeper reflections |
HERYN 2026 column: Volunteers and sponsors are the key ingredients for powerful annual program6/30/2026  The only awkward thing about Jesse at the final day of the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association HERYN (Helping Engage our River’s Youth with Nature) kayaking and fishing camp didn’t involve him at all.
It was all my fault. When gathering registrations for our popular annual program, his stood out because of his diagnosis. His mother shared that he has Asperger’s Syndrome, wears headphones to minimize disruptions from loud noises and ear plugs when swimming/around water for the same reason. Knowing there is a wide spectrum of communication barriers for autistic young people, I was anxious to see how the 13-year-old from King of Prussia would fit in, comprehend instruction and be able to do all elements of our program, especially since he also was on medication for ADHD.
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 The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association and its Vernal School Environmental Education Partnership will be hosting the second annual Pack the Preserve event on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at the Montour Preserve.
 Among the many lessons taught during a HERYN program day, students receive an Enviroscape presentation on watersheds and how pollution can get into a waterway.
"We have all this fun during the day kayaking and fishing, and we want to send each participant and his/her family home with the mental picture of what it takes to keep these waterways clean," said Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. "The Enviroscape, which we empower our interns to teach from, is a great way to spark that conversation." From the Wednesday, June 24, 2026, HERYN program, which set a single-day record of 21 participants due to a rainout earlier in the week, students were quick to relay suggestions on how they could improve their streams and the bigger river from home.  A steady rain wiped out the Monday, June 22, 2026, HERYN program day, so participants were moved around and we bumped up the minimum total for students each of the last two days.
This included having 19 on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, but it didn't seem to impact the quality of the program. "It was perfection," shared 11-year-old Braeden Dometita, of Danville, on his exit survey, where he indicated that his favorite parts were "everything" and suggested areas of improvement were "nothing." Fourteen participants engage with numerous areas of June 20, 2026, HERYN day, including cooking6/29/2026  Among the various lessons and programs offered during a typical HERYN (Helping Engage our River's Youth with Nature) program day, one of the most popular is the fish cleaning and cooking demonstration.
"We offer this as an option for any participants who want to learn how to take a fish they caught, safely get a filet or two off it and cook it in a way that they'll enjoy," said Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper John Zaktansky. "We don't require this part because not everyone is into that, but it does provide a nice full-circle element to go from the basics of knot tying and casting all the way to providing a meal for your family from what you catch. Plus, it is cool to see how many kids who are squeamish at first wind up begging for more cooked fish to try afterward." During the Saturday, June 20, 2026, HERYN program, 10-year-old Max Machesic, of Lewisburg, was among those who enjoyed that part of the program especially. Fourteen participants for June 19, 2026, HERYN savor activities such as yakball, fishing and more!6/29/2026  If 14-year-old Zach Hoagland, of Elysburg, had his way, yakball would be added as an Olympic sport.
The activity, one of the final competitions on the kayaking side of instruction during the annual HERYN (Helping Engage our River's Youth with Nature) combines the concepts of soccer and kayaking into one competitive sport. "I really liked yakball - I'd like to teach my friends to play this, too," he said. "I had done a lot of fishing before coming to this camp, but definitely leave with a desire to use my kayak a lot more."  Fourteen young people kicked off the first HERYN (Helping Engage our River's Youth with Nature) kayaking and fishing day camp programs at the Central PA Wesleyan Campground near New Columbia by picking up new skills in each activity and also considering a variety of tips to keep our waterways clean.
"Don't throw trash in the woods," suggested 8-year-old Joseph Knauss, of Winfield, adding in his exit survey that the one thing he learned that he can teach others were "reeling techniques." Three dozen veterans connect with volunteers and nature while sharing their stories via annual event6/22/2026  The Orangeville Manor offers more than a place to stay for veterans who have fallen on hard times since their service for our country.
“The manor saved my life,” said U.S. Army veteran Dominick Fils in an interview for the Daily Item’s coverage of a recent fishing, food and fun gathering for veterans hosted by the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association. “They’ve done great things for me. I quit drinking, I haven’t had a drink in 20 years. I wouldn’t be here without them.” But that work requires partnerships, support and awareness, which is what inspired Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association board treasurer Walt Bingaman to offer a fishing and picnic experience for the veterans a year ago. “I volunteered out there a while ago, serving food, and it was obvious there was a need not only for the veterans to get out and reconnect with nature, but also for the manor to make new connections and get the resources it needs to do such important work,” he said.  As with each program provided by the Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association, an effort to talk about waterway concerns and make some sort of impact is a key focus.
The June 8, 2026, Blue HERYN (Helping Engage our River's Youth with Nature) kayaking and fishing half-day sojourn down Penns Creek included a massive haul of litter being picked up -- mainly in the form of tires. A bunch of discarded tires were found along the entire six-mile paddle, but participants made an extra effort to pull them from the creek as the journey neared its end. There was an especially large number of tires stuck into the creek bed just above the town of New Berlin. Participants dove in to grab what they could for the final leg of the trip.  At the introductory HERYN (Helping Engage our River's Youth with Nature) kayaking and fishing program days, participants learn the fundamentals of each main activity separately. However, graduates of that course are invited back for special Blue HERYN half-day trips down a six-mile section of Penns Creek in which both kayaking and fishing are enjoyed simultaneously.
That was definitely the case during the June 5, 2026, Blue HERYN session as the fish were biting much more actively. Participants and staff hooked into numerous smallmouth bass and fallfish, along with exploring macroinvertebrates such as crayfish and mayfly larva. |
AuthorsRiverkeeper John Zaktansky is an award-winning journalist and avid promoter of the outdoors who loves camping, kayaking, fishing and hunting with the family. Archives
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