HERYN 2026 column: Volunteers and sponsors are the key ingredients for powerful annual program

​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.

While he was quiet – saying very little and being a little hard to understand when he did verbalize – Jesse did amazing during the day. He listened well, navigated his kayak around the lake and held his own in the various competitions we do near the end of the program. He flashed a big smile during a kayaking photo opportunity with his teammates and genuinely seemed to enjoy himself. 

He was even self-aware enough to address his one main challenge for the day – sharing on his exit survey that he learned patience while fishing.  He was one of those young people who yanked too hard in excitement every time the bobber dipped below the surface.

As Jesse walked to his car, he swerved over to express his gratitude and say good-bye in his own Jesse-like way. He extended a closed fist for a simple bump … and I completely misread the situation. I attempted to shake his hand instead and immediately sensed the awkwardness of my mistake. He smiled as I apologized.

A simple exchange, but it is hard to not reflect on it. Every year of HERYN, we have participants that bring a wide variety of background experiences, diagnoses and unknown baggage to our program days. So many of them exceed expectations and become key examples of what the program can do and mean beyond the simple acts of fishing or kayaking.

We had a young man who struggled early in life with a compromised immune system that had very little prior interaction with nature ... until he participated in one of our HERYN programs. It was a memorable transformation as he held up his first fish ever – a largemouth bass – and learned to navigate a kayak for the first time.

Another past participant had a traumatic incident at the beach as a young child, almost getting sucked out to sea in a riptide. He avoided water ever since … but then addressed those fears face-on during our HERYN kayaking orientation in the campground pool, his teammates cheering him on as he climbed back onto his kayak and shook his hand in the air in celebration.

These and so many other powerful moments have helped to underline the deeper potential of a program designed up front to simply teach fundamentals for fishing and kayaking with a goal of inspiring new stewards. 

As the old adage suggests, fishing is rarely just about casting a line and catching a fish. In the same way, kayaking is much more than using a paddle to move a plastic boat across the top of the water. They are gateway experiences that can connect to so much more … blurring the lines between recreation and therapeutics until there really is no line at all.

This was on full display the day before our late-June HERYN program kicked off this summer as we invited nearly 40 veterans to the same campground for some fishing, fellowship, food and fun. Residents of the Orangeville Manor, these individuals once fought for our country in the military and/or as first responders but then fell on hard times, experienced homelessness and turned to the manor for help.

The fishing/picnic outing, a brain child of association treasurer and retired National Wild Turkey Federation regional director Walt Bingaman, provides each of these veterans much more than a free meal and chance to snag a few panfish. It opens doors for real, meaningful discussion and an opportunity to share their stories. 

There is something about fishing, kayaking, hiking and other outdoor adventures that tee up these sort of conversations. I know I had my best moments of connecting with my own dad out in the woods or on the side of a trout stream.

“We loved everything today. Thank you for being so patient,” shared Jesse’s mother, who served as his aid throughout the HERYN experience. “You touch so many lives by educating and experiencing the outdoors.”

Leslie Warriner, of Danville, had similar feedback after her son, Adam, attended HERYN a day before Jesse.

"It is an excellent program with a great mix of instruction and hands-on learning," she said. "These kids learned important skill sets that teach life lessons."

The value of volunteers
However, these experiences aren’t just coincidence or happy accidents. 

Our HERYN program leaned heavily on its volunteers, a diverse group of people who savor the outdoors and helping others connect to it as their way of giving back and protecting the resource for future generations. 

We had retirees such as Walt Bingaman, Jack Giblin and Mike Arnold who gave up a week-plus of their lives to lead fishing instruction – and show case their patience and encouragement with every knot tied, cast untangled and fish unhooked. Kevin Witt and Sue Jamison selflessly coordinated all the HERYN lunches for the students and helpers. 

We also were blessed with numerous younger volunteers. High-schoolers who once took the program and want to give back such as three-time state champion bass angler and former HERYN participant Ty Magargle. He helped with fishing multiple days before heading to Kentucky for another tournament. Others included Austin and Blake Walls, association board president and new dad Michael Kinney and Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC) communications director Stacey Hanrahan. 

Last, but certainly not least, my 21-year-old daughter, Paige, who has made it a tradition to take her one week of vacation from work to volunteer her time helping me with the kayak instruction. In fact, she is the only person who has volunteered at every HERYN program day across all five years we have done them. 

Our interns (Maggie Yonkin and Derek Asche) as well as association Deputy Director Katie Cassidy were also key parts of this summer’s efforts.

Sponsors and donors play a key role
The other unsung heroes in our HERYN and veterans program offerings are the sponsors. Overall, that included a sponsor donation from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and key grant contributions from the PA Fish and Boat Commission. Clark’s Wiggly Worms (out of rural Middleburg) donated 500 nightcrawlers that helped catch more than 900 combined fish during the week-plus of programming. 

The United in Christ Lutheran Church and Thrivent Financial Services combined to provide the veteran program meal. Their transportation was made possible by Central PA Limousine company as well as the masonic lodges of Orangeville, Elysburg and Berwick, the Wingshooting Warriors Event and Beagle’s Bed and Breakfast owner Reid Beagle.
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Other key donations came via the Central PA Wesleyan Campground, Joe’s Flies and numerous individual donors over the past year.

“My kids both had a blast,” shared Amy Machesic, of Lewisburg, whose son, Max, and daughter, Lumen, participated on June 20. “Lumen had been a hard ‘no’ on learning to kayak (though she has been in canoes and tubes and can swim) and she came out of camp loving it! Now they are both asking us to get kayaks for them so we can go out as a family. They loved the fishing … and pizza, as well!”

Kelly Smith, of Millville, had similar sentiments after her son, Hayes (age 9), participated on June 23.

“My son said he really enjoyed the program. He wished that it was a whole week so he could go every day,” she said. “I love that it gets kids outside and off of screens and this is a valuable program to let them enjoy nature and learn while having fun!”

Lisa Campbell, of New Columbia, sent her two sons on separate days (June 18 and 19) but got similar responses from them each afterward.

“They didn’t have anything negative to say and now they keep saying they want to fish and kayak (together) again,” she said, adding that all the staff she saw “were friendly, knowledgeable and seemed to love helping the kids learn. I don’t kayak or boat or enjoy those activities, so I am so happy my kids who like that kind of thing had a chance to experience it.”

HERYN has been offered long enough now that siblings of previous participants are old enough to step into something that is becoming a family tradition, as was the case for 9-year-old Weston Rauch, of Bloomsburg. He participated on June 23, several years after his brother, Kooper.

“Camps like these are vital to our youth to learn about our environment and get them on the right path for living a life with respect for our planet,” said their mother, Nicole. 

Which goes back to the core goal of the program – to inspire new stewards to help protect our waterway resources for future generations. And our HERYN graduates are doing that. I am regularly getting feedback from parents about their kids stepping up to make a difference in a wide variety of ways. 

In fact, one of our HERYN kids – 9-year-old Coen Evans, of Williamsport – started an Earth Squad Club in his school to go out and collect litter and raise funds for future litter collection opportunities.

Check out the overview and photo gallery for each day of programming this late June below:

• Veterans program on June 17
• HERYN on June 18
• HERYN on June 19
• HERYN on June 20
• HERYN on June 23
• HERYN on June 24

Thanks to our volunteers. Thanks to our sponsors. You can be among them in the future by telling us of your interest to get involved via our Susquehanna Survey. You can donate directly to HERYN equipment upgrades and other needs here.
 
Check out Daily Item coverage of our veteran day here.

And this link will send you to the Milton Standard-Journal’s coverage of the same event. 

The Standard-Journal came back to cover one of our HERYN days, too. Check out that coverage here.