EYC’s Environmental Committee helps organize educational boat rides for this collaborative Spa Creek Conservancy effort. The event offers one-half hour boat rides leaving the Truxtun Park dock area. Kids on the Creek is a fun family day at the park with free food, educational activities, fish seining, a scavenger hunt, SUPs & kayaks and, of course, the boat rides. In 2020, this public event was not held due to COVID. However, plans are underway to have a Kids on the Creek event on August 2021.
Volunteer Skippers arrive at Truxtun Park for a short skippers meeting. Dockside coordinators direct traffic and secure boats. There is a pop-up tent on the adjacent lawn area where we fit the kids & adults with life jackets, provide a brief safety lesson, and assign kids & adults to specific boats. We load the kids on the boats from the stable docks of the boat ramp area. Boats move into the boarding area on a continuing basis as space becomes available. Each round trip boat ride travels down the creek from Truxtun Park to the Green Can (SC#1) off EYC. A map & description of suggested sites to point out (e.g. Spa Creek Bridge, Naval Academy, restored wetlands, etc.) and some facts/info to share is provided to each skipper. Upon return to the Truxtun dock the kids and adults are offloaded and a new group is loaded for the next half hour ride.
This is an event for kids so we try to limit the number of adults on the boats; however, for safety and supervision we ensure that there is always at least one adult on each boat in addition to the skipper. That individual helps with the supervision of the kids. They also help point out key sites and provide info on the creek and bay using the fact sheet provided. If the skippers bring a first mate, they are the “extra” adult on the boat.
We allow only kids 5 years or older on the boat rides. Children between 5-8 years old must be accompanied by one parent or responsible family member/friend. We arrange with Boat U.S. Foundation to provide life jackets for the event.